Weeping Willow
by Kae Noel
Summary: Revised version! Folken is given yet another chance to live, this time in a totally new place. When he finds love that threatens to leave him in heartbreak, or forever in eternal bliss... sort of. Major changes this chapter!
1. Alive?

**Weeping Willow**   
(revised version) 

** Chapter 1: Alive?**

He remembered falling, remembered the rush of the wind, as the floor grew ever closer. He rembered hearing the earsplitting crunch of his bone shattering impact. He remembered whispering his brother's name and then falling into darkness. He thought he was as good as dead, but he had thought that before hadn't he? The hopeless feeling of death approaching, the grief of those he would leave behind, but he had been given another chance to live that time, perhaps again he would be saved from the end. But that would absurd, asking too much of the fates, could he be so selfish? No, he would die if he lived for himself, he would have been dead long ago. 

There was a light and he opened his eyes, looking around, wondering. Was this the afterlife? Was he still dead? No, he was plainly living, painfully alive. He grasped at the sword tip that fate had toss so recklessly into his chest to find it was no longer there, only a deep wound remained, as if someone had removed the shard and left him there to drown in his own blood. 

However, he wasn't in the same room he had died in, in fact there didn't appear to be _any_ room, only a darkness and a smooth cold surface below him which he couldn't even see. As if it were only a thin sheet of frozen glass. He stood out broadly from the dark, as if basking in the noonday sun. Trying to sit up, he gasped the sharp pain in his chest increasing as more blood flowed forth from his wound.   
He tore a large piece of fabric off his skirt, tore a smaller piece off of this and put the smaller to the cut, then he wrapped the larger around his torso several times so that it would not move. He stood, sucking in a sharp breath and letting it whistle out between his teeth.   
"What now?" he asked himself, there was a strong blast of wind that nearly knocked him over and then nothing except for the distinct sound of footsteps.   
"Who's there?" He asked in the direction of the footsteps, they stopped and slowly he began to see the form of a person, a woman. Soon she stood out distinctly amongst the dark surroundings.   
"The light is coming from you." Her voice was melodic, making him wonder if she had sung the words instead of speaking them. He just looked at her quizzically.   
"What is going on?" he asked.   
"You've been given a second chance." Again, the melodious voice.   
"No offense m'lady, however, this would be my third." He said scornfully.   
"No, what your second was a destiny of death, simply prolonged over painful years, you're being given another chance at life." She stepped closer to him, now she was only a foot away from him. She raised her hand to his wound and he felt a burning sensation, but more of a warmth that spread even to his wing tips. She undid his make shift bandage to reveal a small scar. He examined it in wonder and then looked at her, she had backed away slightly.   
"Why?" He wondered.   
"Live." Was all she said.   
"How can I go back? I don't understand."   
"You can't go back, not now, most likely not ever. Come with me, I will show you." She began walking in the same direction she had come from and he worked hard to stay in stride with her, she may have healed him but he felt tears come to his eyes as even breathingput strain on the scar tissue.   
"You're going to another place, one not far from Gaea, in another world, a place where the mystic moon and Gaea do not exist, only you will be able to see them as stars in the night sky."   
He looked slightly forlorn but nodded his head solemnly.   
"It will be difficult, do not doubt that, you'll need to blend in."   
She snapped her fingers and he looked down to see he was wearing a pair of black pants. His wings were still extended but he had a crimson shirt on, it had slits in the back just wide enough to allow his wings through. He looked at his feet to find the most peculiar looking shoes. (Most of us would know them as tennis shoes) Hadn't Hitomi worn shoes like them? He shrugged his shoulders and continued walking.   
"You won't be able to draw back you wings in for a while, healing your wound had that effect. Look down there, that's your new home."   
A blue green ball appeared below and they stopped abruptly.   
"Now, you'll need this," she handed him a blue pendant almost identical to Hitomi's, except it was on a silver chain. He put it around his neck and inside his shirt.   
"Now you are ready. It is beautiful place, but do not let its beauty fool you for the wicked are hidden amongst the lovely." He felt suspended as if floating but not quite, as if some invisible hand held him in its grip ready to hurl him to the orb below.   
"Wait! Who are you and why did you do all this?" he asked, in a panic, suddenly unsure of his fate. Suddenly a pair of glistening silver wings burst from her shoulders.   
"I am the one the Darconians became like, the guardian of the people of Atlantis, until this very day I am bound to guide them, although few remain. I could not stop them from making their foolish choices, only help them. I tried to speak to your ancestors but they would not listen, even you and your brother could not hear my voice until now."   
"I'm sorry m' Lady. Forgive me for being so ignorant. If I had known to listen I might even know your name." He felt ashamed but glad at the same time.   
"My name is not important, but because it would seem you truly desire to know it I shall tell you. My name is Eirene. Have faith Folken, son of Atlantis. For now, you shall live a life of peace." With that, he felt himself beginning to fall towards the orb beneath him. He flapped his wings fiercely, trying to slow himself, he was falling too quickly! He paniced, instinct and knowledge of physics screaming sirens of warning. The planet grew closer each second and his wings seemed to do no good.   


A/N: Hello all, this chapter doesn't have many changes there is a change in the format of the story, it comes later. oh and all my credits will be at the end of the whole thing for the sake of organization and time. If you have any suggestions of what to improve from the last edition of Weeping Willow please let me know.   
Feedback: Any sort of constructive critisism is help mainly on my weaknesses. Orginaization, dialogue, Characterization, Stream of Consciousness, etc. Encouragement is nice as well, but really I'm seeking to grow as a writer. Any literary techniques I can learn are great.   



	2. Gold and silver twins

**Weeping Willow**   
(Revised version) 

**Chapter2: New Gold and Silver Twins**

"Don't worry" he heard from behind him as he fell towards the planet. "You'll survive the fall."   
There was a flash of light and burning sensation as he fell through the atmosphere, he realized he was falling way too fast. There was no way he could live through this. There was a flash of green he recognized as a forest and just after he cleared it, he saw a house.   
"Just great,"he half growled in shock and irritation, knowing he would probalby crash into it or something in the immediate promimity. He raised his right arm, using it as a sort of shield, and lowered his shoulder to take the brunt of the fall. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't get his feet in front of him. 'Great I'm going to die… again!' The last thing he saw was a garden that he knew wouldn't survive underneath him. He closed his eyes and fell unconscious as he fell into the flowerbed; pots shattered and petals flew in every which direction, followed closely by singed feathers. 

When Willow heard the crash she was first most worried about her cousins. The six-year-old twins were playing in the yard and she was worried that they had somehow hurt themselves. However, the second she opened the door she was accosted by both gold and silver haired girls, running into the arms of their 'aunt' as they called her.   
"Aunt Willow! It wasn't us, honest!" Said Shiloh; her silver pigtails swung as she shook her head, adding to her defense.   
"Yeah! It was a robot angel, he crashed into the flowers!" Chloe nodded.   
"A robot angel?" Willow asked in disbelief, not liking what sounded like a farfetched lie.   
"No! It was a hang glider!" Shiloh countered.   
"Angel!"   
"Hang glider!"   
"Angel!"   
"Now, stop fighting you two I'm going to see what happened, you two go inside."   
"Yes Aunt Willow." Both girls said simultaneously and very ashamedly.   
Willow was shocked when she saw him. Lying face down in her crushed petunias was, as Chloe described him, a 'robot angel,' with a ton of singed feathers all around.   
"Oh my goodness!" She rushed over to his side.   
"Nobe… Taskete…"   
She gently touched his shoulder and turned him onto his right side. She could see his cherry brandy eyes and the ruffled blue patch atop his head. Willow had a sudden, thought that the wine-color of those eyes went very nicely with the pale blue hair... She shook her head and frowned at such silliness. He needed her help urgently, and she needed to focus herself.   
"Taskete … help me… I mean you no harm…" he gasped.   
"It's okay. I'm here to help."   
Willow ran her hands carefully over his ribs, his left arm, his legs, looking for anything swollen or out of place. There was nothing that was where it shouldn't be, but it was obvious he'd be sporting some nasty bruises in a day or two. He had obviously snapped a few ribs as well. When she pressed on his back, between his wings, he let out a gusty sigh and bent into her touch, the movement causing the wide pinions to flex involuntarily. The smell of burnt feathers wafted over her, and bits of ash fluttered in the air.   
"I'm all in one piece… and I'll be better if I can just… sleep… for awhile… Right here will be fine, if it's safe..."   
"We're going to have to get you inside. You can't stay out here wounded, and covered with dirt. People will tend to notice. Not to mention these..." she nodded towards his wings. "Not many people around here have them."   
He smiled ruefully "Not may people have them where I come from either…"   
"Do you think you can walk inside if I help you?" She asked.   
"I think so."   
"All right, we can work with that."   
"Thank you" He sat up and gasped.   
"Okay on the count of three." She knelt and tucked her arm around his ribcage. He Nodded and braced himself to stand.   
"One… two… three!" And with that he was standing. He swayed a bit and she steadied him. "are you sure you're going to be alright?"   
"Yes, I'm sure." He winced slightly when she pressed against a broken rib.   
"Sorry."   
Slowly but surely they trod into the house and as they did Willow began taking in his looks, surveying the curve of his toned muscles, the contrast of soft warm flesh and cool hard metal. She grimaced at the shape his arm was in, the top two tethers had been torn away and it had quite a few dents in it.   
"We'll get you cleaned up in no time, a hot shower some icepacks and a lot of rest and you'll be good as new." She smiled up at him.   
"Thank you… for all your help."   
"Shhh, relax, its what any normal person would do."   
The girls gasped as she helped him into the bathroom in the guest bedroom.   
"See! I told you he was a robot angel!" Chloe said triumphantly. Shiloh could only nod in sullen agreement.   
Folken nearly fell over when he saw them, if he hadn't known better and he would have thought they were Naria and Eyria without the cat-like features. He laughed lightly at the comment, 'Robot angel' he thought, 'how ironic.'   


**A/N:** Okay this had a few more revisions than the last one let me know what you think, oh and take a look at the credits page when this is finished for this chapter K?   
By the way, Thanks to everyone who reviewed this the first time around, you guys are awesome ^_^   
**Feedback: **Any sort of constructive critisism is help mainly on my weaknesses. Orginaization, dialogue, Characterization, Stream of Consciousness, etc. Encouragement is nice as well, but really I'm seeking to grow as a writer. Any literary techniques I can learn are great.   



	3. Singed feathers and Sunsets

**Weeping Willow**   
(revised version) 

**Chapter 3: Singed feathers and Sunsets**

Folken let the warm water wash over him, caressing his sore muscles and rinsing the dirt away. He sighed and realized he actually felt a bit better. He was sitting on a stool so his wings would be out of the water; they seemed to completely fill the room. Willow came in and with a first aid kit and a bucket. Luckily and cleverly planned, his wings and the shower curtain covered enough of him so she could help clean up his back without indecent exposure. 

"Is the water warm enough?" she asked. 

"Yes, Its perfect." He put his head under the water and dowsed his hair, which turned a dark turquoise color with the moisture. Then he slicked it back out of his face, sending a few droplets of water flying. Willow chucked lightly at his childishness, the innocent way of moving that seemed so relaxed. She gathered the wet strands at the nape of his neck and squeezed the moisture out of them. 

"Alright, I'm going to clean up these cuts on your back. It'll sting, but I'll be quick." 

He nodded and she filled the bucket with water, pouring it over his back, the dirt rinsed away. She lathered a washcloth with soap and set about scrubbing his wounds. True to her word, she worked skillfully and quickly. She filled the bucket again and the sting subsided as the foam was rinsed away. 

She put her hand to the spot between his wings and pressed slightly, he sucked in a quick breath of air and slowly let it out through his teeth. 

"Sorry, this looks like the reason you can't 'draw back' your wings, as you said." She gently traced the red mark that was already becoming a bruise. "It's hot, too. Like you have a bad sprain. You must have pulled or strained something here. Hang on..." She moved some of the feathers that were closest to his back on each wing. 

"Looks like you're starting to puff up... on both sides, right under here..." He sucked in another breath as she applied a small amount of pressure. 

Come into the guest bedroom and I'll put some ice packs on your back, it'll bring the swelling down. Here's some clothes, when you're done." She sat a pair of black Pajama pants on the counter and left, closing the door behind her. 

Folken dried off and put them on, he looked at himself in the mirror. 

'The picture of authority, are you not?' He smiled sarcastically. His right arm looked horrible, the places where the tethers had broken revealed sickening bone graphs and he could hardly recognize his own face around the split lip, black eye and myriad of other injuries. His wings were singed so badly he thought he looked a lot like what a chicken that had gotten on Dilandau's bad side would. He opened the door and found Chloe and Shiloh playing on the bed that Willow had put fresh blankets on for him. She came in a couple seconds later and would have scolded the girls, were it not for the smile that was spread across his face. 

"Come on you two, let our guest rest." She shooed them out and he sat on the edge of the bed his wings forming a semi circle around him. She knelt on the bed behind him. His heart was racing with her close proximity and he mentally questioned his own motives. 

He felt her fingers riffle through the long flight feathers of his wingtips, and heard her sigh disappointedly. "I'm going to have to trim quite a bit of these off. Are you okay with that?" 

"Actually…" He fingered the top of his wings, checking for certain telltale sign. He found it as an ashen colored feather fell under his gentle touch. "If you could trim more than you need to I'd be grateful. I should be molting within the week but mostly because I'll need a way to keep my primary feathers from dragging. I can hardly loft either wing properly and they're likely to get caught underfoot with the main flights as long as they are. Until I heal and fledge out again, I'll need to protect them..." 

"No problem. But I think I'm going to need pruning shears for the shafts of these," she said, flicking the mid-rib of one of the primaries with her finger. "They're huge! Scissors literally won't cut it with your plumage, big bird." 

Folken laughed, then panted painfully when the action jostled his rib cage and back. Willow laid a quieting hand on his shoulder. 

"All right, let me go get the shears and I'll cut these first. Then we'll get some ice on you, and you can rest." 

"Thank you so much miss… forgive me, I don't even know your name." He apologized. 

"I'm Willow Anne Lewis, call me Willow, and you are…?" 

"Folken Lacour de Fanel, although some people where I came from called me Strategos… but you can call me Folken." 

"Okay, Folken, I'll be right back." 

* * * 

After the trimming was done and the ice packs applied Folken fell into a deep slumber and slept the afternoon away. Willow preoccupied herself with her sketches and writings. A self-proclaimed writer and illustrator, she actually had a photography job, she worked for a large company, coming up with photos and designs for the labels of their products and covers of all kinds of documents. She found the job quite boring but she got paid a lot, worked very little and from home and had plenty of free time to devote to her hobbies. And it was an excuse to use plenty of rolls of film on anything she wanted, whether she used it for the company or not. Each month she was alloted up to fifteen rolls of film, which she used to her advantage; taking pictures of the birds in her yard, her cousins, flowers, butterflies, and anything else that she could have a whim to capture. She liked the photography part of her job but it was the tweaking photos and taking ones of things that seemed rather redundant that bothered her. 

She had so many projects in the works that her drawing table and writing desk looked like a jumbled mess to the untrained eye; filled with pencils, rough sketches, ink pens, paper, colored pencils, and watercolors. Her photography desk had pica rulers and croping tools, wax pencils, photo tags and several rolls of developed and undeveloped photos. 

Now, she was drawing one of her flowers that had been crushed from Folken's fall, she had taken a picture of it just the day before and now it seemed appropriate to draw it, almost ironic. The light dipped low as she finally finished putting color to it with her watercolors and set it out to dry. She grabbed her Camera and started towards the stairs that went up on the roof, she wanted a new sunset photo and it seemed like the most appropriate place to get it from. Just as she stepped up on the first step, Folken came wandering into the hallway. 

"Willow… where are you going?" He asked and caught up to her, wobbling slightly. 

"To the roof to watch the sunset, want to come?" She nodded up to the top of the staircase. 

"Of course I would," Folken followed her up the steps, pausing occasionally to catch his breath. 

* * *   
"Are you feeling any better?" She asked as they watched the orange ball sink below the horizon. A soft whiring and clicking filled the air as she took photo after photo. 

"A lot better," Folken watched her quizzically. Seeing her turn various lenses, and advanced the film then pressed the shutter release button, resulting in a quick clicking sound. 

"I imagine you have quite some story." *click* "I'd like to hear It." She turned to see a quizical and yet deeply sorrowful look come over his face. *click* 

"Of course, but first could you explain to me what you're doing, I've never seen this mechanism you're using before." 

Willow blinked and walked over to him, kneeling next to him, she showed him all the lenses, the order to turn them in and held it so he could look through it. 

"Look at the sunset turn this until the light meter is in the middle of the box on the left and turn the rest until it looks clearest, then push the shutter button. He did. 

*Click* 

"Now when I develop the film we'll see this sunset again in the picture." She smiled. 

"That's very interesting, capturing light to save one image for a long time." Folken smiled warmly at her and motioned for her to stay still. He leaned back and repeated the process, this time capturing Willow in the orange glow from the sunset. 

"You're a natural Folken," she laughed, he smiled and felt a strange twing come over him, how long had it been since he'd smiled like that? 

"Do you really want to hear my story?" he asked solemnly. 

"Yes, but if you don't want to tell it I'll understand. In fact I'd understand perfectly, my story isn't exactly a pretty one either…" Her voice trailed off and she bit her lip as she watched the last sliver of light disappear on the horizon. 

"I'd like to hear it… if you don't mind, then I'll tell you my own, it'll probably take the longest and I'd hate to feel sleepy while you tell yours…" He'd fallen asleep while the twins had told him of their adventures playing in the large series of rooms he'd had outfitted for them on the vione, and woken up to two warm little kittens curled up against his sidesA thought suddenly dawned on him and a flash of worry spread over his face. "Where are the children?" He asked, remembering the little girls that had been there earlier that day. 

"Oh, my aunt Rose came and got them, actually she's more like my sister than my aunt. She and Steve came and got them while you were sleeping." 

"Oh, they are really great girls… but back to your story." 

Willow took a deep breath, a flood of emotions swirling around her, clouding her vision like a fine mist. She closed her eyes and pursed her lips before letting her breath out in a deep sigh. 

Folken saw her inner turmoil and gently put his left arm around her shoulders. The tender touch made her breath steady and he held her until she could speak again, gently comforting. 

"My family wasn't a bad one, I had more than enough to please a little girl. My dad worked for an important company, my mother was a nurse and my brother was… well, the average younger brother, annoying etc. but I loved him a lot. My parents cared about me and I had friends and life seemed to be going my way. Until the year my Grandmother passed away. Suddenly life didn't make sense and my family grew distant. I pushed them away not wanting to get close to anything, except for my brother and one friend. Her brother was around a lot too, I started to date him for a while. He seemed to sooth the pain, somewhat. We were both hurting, both hated the world and the hands we had been dealt. But my family moved and I met some new friends. Life seemed better and I broke up with him, mostly because I didn't feel anything for him any more and I didn't hate things quite so much." 

Willow paused and gathered her thoughts about what she was going to share next. Her heart raced and Folken could feel her rising pulse, he held her closer, hoping she could understand how much he cared. 

"He wasn't happy about that and I knew it, our families still got together often and I saw him a lot more than I cared to. I even remember he asked 'Why do you always b*^#$ at me?!' I lashed out a him because now he was the main source of my troubles. He would make advances towards me, trying to win my favor back, I assume. But I didn't want that any more, I knew I didn't need him to drag me down. So Ignored him and hurled my insults at him instead of every one else." Her lip quivered as she took a breath. "He definitely didn't like that and one night when I was at their house he raped me. It wasn't like he threatened to kill me or anything, he just over powered me. For so long I thought it was my fault. I thought that just because my life hadn't been in danger it didn't count as rape. The most twisted part was that I felt guilty for what he'd done. So I didn't tell any one." 

The tears poured down her cold cheeks, bringing a tingling feeling as the heat from them touched her skin and cooled. Folken wiped them away and encouraged her to continue, his own eyes blurring at her pain. It seemed through trough her and into his veins, swarming him with a mix of anger, fear and sorrow. 

"But I moved on, still blaming myself for everything that ever happened. I started high school and met my best friend, she's really great. We both had troubles and leaned heavily on each other, sharing our burdens. We finished high school and made it to different colleges. We managed to stay fairly close but no where near a s close as we were in high school. I remember my twenty first birthday was one of the last times I saw her before I moved into this house. She told me that she'd finally met someone she could marry and we were both extremely excited. The wedding went as planned, I moved into her old house, this house, and I went back to school. I graduated and she was going to a week later… But she never got the chance. She died in a car accident, worst of all she was pregnant and her husband was driving them to the hospital because she had gone into labor." She sobbed into his chest and he gently lifted her into his lap, he gently put his metal arm around her waist and cupped her cheek in his hand. 

"Don't stop Willow, I'm here." Some how his gentle voice prodded her on. 

"I got a job doing photography and continued writing like I had when I was in High school, it was kind of a way that I remembered her, since she was the one who really got me into writing. I was taking care of my cousins for my aunt when you crashed into my flowerbed today." She looked into his eyes, expecting to see disgust at her past and saw only caring. 

He brushed a strand of her hair out of her face, the blonde waves had fallen out of the bun she always wore and they wafted lightly in the cool evening breeze. He didn't know what to say, would naything be appropriate? She was trembling in his arms and he did all he could to comfort her. He gently reached for the two pins that were holding her hair in place, and pulled them out so her hair fell around her face in soft waves. He gazed into her clear blue eyes, meeting them with his cherry brandy ones. She shivered involuntarily and he lifted her, sucking in a sharp breath as he did so. 

"Don't hurt yourself Folken, I can walk just fine…" 

"Shhh, Don't say another word about it." He walked back into the house, and closed the door behind him. She wished he would let her walk, especially when he winced as he stepped down the last step. He took her into the living room and sat with her on the couch. The whole time she just sobbed into his chest and he stroked her back. 

"Its not your fault, Willow. Life is hard and people are cruel, I'm so sorry about what has happened to you." He whispered. 

"But its all my fault, I made choices, they ruined my life. Its my fault…" 

"No, don't blame yourself." 

"But Folken…" 

"Stop." 

She blinked and looked into his stern face, seeing the look of compassion and concern in his eyes. A feeling of regret washed over her and she sobbed harder, realizing that she had no reason to blame herself. She cried because for once someone seemed to really care and really understand her pain, a kindered spirit. He held her close and cooed gentle reassurance into her ear. She cried until all her energy was spent, cried for what had been taken away from her and the pain it had caused her, cried for the life she had lost, the friend she would never see again, and the new future that laid before her. 

She sighed in his arms and he felt her relax completely, soon her steady breath told him that she had fallen asleep. He stood and winced before carrying her into her room. In the dark he noticed the drawings, painting and photos all over the walls and the large writing desk in the corner. He pulled the blanket back on her bed and gently laid her down, she woke slightly when he did so. 

"Thank you so much Folken." 

"Thank _you_ Willow." He turned to leave. 

"Don't leave… stay until I fall asleep again, at least." She pleaded, the fear in her voice frightened him deeply, and he felt something hidden, crouched in the dark recesses of her mind waiting to leap on her in her unsheilded sleep. 

"All right." He laid down next to her and gently pulled her into his arms. She sighed in his protective embrace and soon fell asleep. 

'I'll get up in a moment.' Folken thought, not wanting to leave this comfortable position. But he didn't, he fell asleep by her side. 

**A/N:** HI! A new revised chapter! If you've read enough of my other writings you know that Willow and Koneko are sort of the two characters I base on myself, and characters I base on myself usually go through hell. If this sucks PLEASE tell me! Also if you like it I must know… Thank you for the complements. \^_^/   
**Feedback:** Any sort of constructive critisism is help mainly on my weaknesses. Orginaization, dialogue, Characterization, Stream of Consciousness, etc. Encouragement is nice as well, but really I'm seeking to grow as a writer. Any literary techniques I can learn are great. 


	4. Godd Morning and Get Well

**Weeping Willow**   
(revised version)   
An: Ooopps revised a bit mroe and realized I combined chapter 3 and four but not on the site *^_^* so if you haven't go back and read it cuz it's kinda key to the rest of it. 

**Chapter 4:Good Morning and Get Well**

When Willow woke the next morning, she was slightly startled be the feel of Folken's arm around her waist. However, she relaxed, remembering the night before. She was glad he'd been there, held her when she broke, when she felt like she couldn't face life anymore. She heard his steady breath in her soft hair and wondered at the strange relationship that had sprung up between them in less than twenty-four hours. She heard a soft plopping sound and realized that his soft black feathers were falling from his wings.One landed on her nose and she sneezed and froze, hoping she hadn't woke him as the feathers in front of her face went flying. 

'He did say he should be molting soon, didn't he?' She smiled and realized that the soft feathers were nearly completely covering the bed. The blanket of black feathers looked strangely comforting and she fell asleep again. 

Folken woke to the sound of a bird singing on the windowsill. The window had been open and he could hear it clearly. He sighed and took in a deep breath. Willow stirred slightly when he did so and he gently brushed a few stray strands of hair from her face. She turned over so she was facing him and snuggled into his chest in her sleep. He sucked in a sharp breath when she did so, doing the best he could to quiet his emotions. Somehow she was warming something in him that had been cold for so long and he felt uneasy about it. He noticed all the feathers and sighed. 'Now look at the mess these things have made. He gently got up and started to pick up the feathers. She woke and looked up at him. 

"Folken? What are you doing?" She asked groggily 

"Shhh, I started to molt last night and I'm going to go try and shake some more feathers loose. Go back to sleep." She finished sweeping the feathers into a pile and he put them into the wastebasket next to her writing desk. He made his way outside and set about getting as many feathers off as he could. 

* * * 

Willow woke up in the late morning and realized Folken was still outside, she pulled on a light blue sundress and her ballet slippers. She stretched for a few minutes before going outside to find Folken. 

He had positioned himself in a curved portion of the fence under and awning she had designed herself. There he could spread his wings out and not worry about being seen. He was working rapidly at pulling them out, wincing, she guessed, from discomfort. 

He had the majority of the feathers out of his right wing but he was having trouble reaching the ones in the back. Willow worked her way behind him and started pulling out the fluff from where he couldn't reach and he started to work on his left wing, grasping huge handfuls of feathers and tossing them down. 

"Is it that bad?" She asked, wondering at how easily the feathers seemed to fall into her hands. 

"It just itches horribly!" He growled. "I hate this part the most." 

She giggled quietly. 

"What's so funny?" He asked with narrowed eyes as he ripped more fathers out, resulting in a crackling noise. 

"Nothing really, just the fact that you look a lot like a plucked chicken at the moment." She laughed and Folken couldn't help but join her until his itching wings bothered him so much that he couldn't stand it any more. He frantically pulled the feathers out, wishing he could just loft his wings enough to get the majority of them out. But no such luck, it was nearly impossible for him to raise his large pinions much more than a foot. Finally, they managed to get the last few of his feathers out, leaving a gray fluff that would grow into his new plumage. 

"Come on, big bird, we'll get you some breakfast." 

His mouth watered at the mention of food and he followed her back into the house. She made coffee, scrambled eggs, toast and he helped by cutting up some fruit. 

By the time they finished eating, he had eaten half a dozen eggs, six pieces of toast and several helpings of fruit. 

"I really don't normally eat like this!" He insisted. 

"So you've said several times over." She laughed and started picking up the dishes. 

"Its just that molting takes a _lot_ of energy." He explained and gathered the rest of the dishes. He helped her put them in the dishwasher, although it confused him slightly. 

"It does the washing for you." She explained, seeing the puzzled look on his face. She giggled slightly and shook her head in wonder. 

"Seems like there's a lot I have to learn about this world." He sighed. 

"That reminds me…" She dried her hands and sat down across the table from him. 

"You haven't told me your story." She smiled. 

"Well, it's a long one, where should I start?" 

"Start with this." She gently tapped his melef arm and rested her hand on top of his cool metal one. He grimmaced, having half expected her question, it disgusted him and he was sure it would disgust her but he looked up into warm green pols of affection. 

"Aren't you afraid of it?" He asked.His face turned to the table so his unrulely locks covered his eyes like they had as a teen. 

"No, its part of you and there must be a monstrous story behind it." His head snapped up and a shock of dibelief went through him. 

He nearly collapsed with her words. He had seen the way people reacted to it. At balls and gatherings Ladies would stare or wince, turning to each other and twittering over it. Some would even shriek openly. He took her warm left hand in his cool right and gently brought it not quite to his lips. 

"Thank you." He whispered against it a tear spilled over his cheek and landed lightly on her fingertips. Setting it back down on the table, he took a sakey breath, composing himself. "It is a monstrous story indeed…" And he told her about his father dying and his quest to become king by rite of dragon slaying, about losing his arm and thinking he was as good as dead. About waking in Zaibach to find the mecha arm attached where his old one had been torn away by the dragon's grousome grin. The whole thing, not leaving any part out, nothing about the multiple surgeries he was put through, some without anesthesia... Nor about the countless deaths he had witnessed, the cruel experiments, Dilandau, Naria and Eriya, Hitomi, Van… Then about being thrown into her flower bed, once again pulled from the comforting arms of death. 

Tears were pouring over her cheeks and he took both her hands in his. 

"I'm sorry if I've disturbed you." He looked into her eyes and knew otherwise. 

"No, its not that… Its just I can only classify what they did to you as pure torture. Oh, Folken and I thought I'd been through hell…" He stood, still holding her hands in his. 

"Shhh, don't cry like that, I don't deserve your tears." He pulled her into his arms. 

"But Folken, that's just plain sick what they did to you. If I had one of those f@&%ing sorcerers right here I'd give them what they deserve!" He saw the anger flaming in her eyes and it warmed that part of his emotions that had been frozen for so long. His lips were inches from her and she felt her shrink from his grasp. 

She pulled away from him slightly, feeling uncomfortable about how fast this was going, not wanting to get so close to another person. He winced, realizing what he had just done; he had crossed that line that made her feel uncomfortable, made her feel like someone else would take advantage of her. 

"I'm sorry Willow, I didn't mean to frighten you… I could never hurt you in any way." He let her go, his arms falling to his sides. 

"No, I'm sorry." She lowered her head. "I really should be over this." 

He stepped closer to her and lifted her chin so she would look into his eyes, she avoided looking into them. He guessed it had something to do with what had happened to her, he couldn't even guess at what having that taken away felt like. But he did know how being violated both emotionally and physically felt like and he knew it had to hurt her horribly. 

"Look into my eyes Willow, I don't want to take advantage of you. I could never do that to any one. Let alone you." 

She breathed in sharply and blushed at what he'd just revealed towards her, the way he had spoken and the look in his eyes said it all. She struggled and finally looked into his crimson eyes, not able to keep herself from returning his gaze. 

"Oh, Folken. Its just so horrible... I can't imagine what you've been through." The tears pouring down her cheeks for him brought tears to his own eyes and he couldn't hold them back any longer. He lifted her gently and walked with her into the living room. He sat on the couch with her in his lap. He cried into her hair and she held him as he broke down into tears. They fell asleep in each others arms and he finally felt some semblance of relief. 

* * *

Folken woke when the afternoon light poured in over his face. He winced and turned away from it. Some how they had ended up laying on the couch, his head was resting on a small round pillow and Willow was resting against his chest, she was between him and the back of the couch. He smiled when he realized she was laying her head just over his heart so she could hear his heart beat. He gently stroked her golden locks away from her face so he could just study her features while she slept. He held her with his right arm and gently traced the lines of her face with his left, hoping she wouldn't wake while he held her like he was. 

He traced her soft jaw line, following it to her lips, he gently ran his fingers over them, feeling her gentle breath against them as he did so. She stirred slightly and he pried himself away from her, forcing himself to let her say when the first move would be made. 

"Wake up Willow." He coaxed and her eyes lightly fluttered open. 

"Folken." She sighed and snuggled against his chest, searching for his protective embrace. 

He heard the hint of distress and fear in her voice and wondered if she'd had a bad dream. He just held her until she looked up into his face. 

"Folken, I had a horrible dream." She muttered, her warm breath caressing his bare skin. 

"Tell me about it." 

"I've had it several times before, so many I don't care to count, but I trust you with this." 

That was a start, trust should always come before any sort of relationship. He smiled and stroked her hair, twisting one of her golden waves around his finger. 

"I dreamt that I was back when I was younger, I dreamt the whole day that I was raped happened again but this time he kills me after he rapes me. Then I see all these talons grasping at me they rip my clothing away and scratch me, making me bleed as if I had been flogged. Then there is only darkness and burning flames, but no light. I know it's strange but there is fire and no light from it. Then I wake up. But strangest of all it's not him that I see, all I remember is blood red eyes filled with hate anda scar, right here," She was trembling now as she traced a line over her cheek and he pulled her even closer to him, fighting back the image that filled his mind, that silver haired demon wrought from a poor inocent child, he swalloed thickly. 

"Oh, Willow." He sighed, stroking her back. Would Dilandau plague him even now? He felt her relax and he was calmed but something continued to tug at his consciousness tenatively telling him of distinct fears. 

"We should get up, Rose and the girls will be coming over this afternoon." She sighed. 

Folken almost rejoiced at her words, he had grown attached to those two little girls and couldn't wait to see them. He sat up with her still in his arms; he stood and helped her up. 

Willow grabbed her camera and quickly went outside. Folken blinked at her sudden flight from the room and followed her outside. He saw what she was taking photos of, it was a beautiful blue bird and he wondered what it was, with its white breast and blue crown he thought it reminded him a bit of himself. He came up beside her and peered up at it. 

"What is it?" he whispered. 

"It's a blue jay." She took a couple more photos and finished the roll of film she had started the day he had crashed into her flowerbed and life. 

"Hmm." He contemplated as he watched it fly away into the nearest tree. 

"Come on inside, I'm going to reload this, we can have some lunch and I'll develop it later tonight after the sun goes down so the light won't accidentally ruin it." She flicked a switch and started rewinding the film manually. 

She wished the company would pay her to get a new automatic camera but they didn't exactly want to allow her that until the end of the year, so she would have to wait. She had seen a really nice one at the local photo shop where she had worked when she was in college and felt like the end of the year couldn't come quickly enough for her. 

After she wound the film, she popped the back of the camera open so she could retrieve the undeveloped roll. She handed it to Folken who studied it, holding it up at eye level and close to his face. 

"200 speed, 24 exposures, Fuji film." He turned it over in his palm and looked up to see she was smiling at him. 

"Looks like I'll have to give you quick technology lesson." She laughed as she set the camera down, having loaded then new roll successfully. 

"Okay." He shrugged. 

"But let's get some lunch first." 

She smiled when a look of pure hunger spread over his face. 

"Mm, Hm!" he followed her into the kitchen. 

She made two turkey sandwiches with lettuce, tomato and cheese and then thought twice before making two more. He ate all three sandwiches and then apologized again. 

"I _really _don't eat like this!" he laughed and sat back. 

They cleaned up the dishes and Willow showed him everything from the TV and VCR to the garbage disposal to her computer and the Internet connection she had. Just as she was giving him tips on using Microsoft Word, the doorbell rang. 

"Aunt Willow!" both of the twins shouted and ran into her arms as she opened the door. 

"Hello again you two!" She laughed and picked both of them up, resting one on each hip. "Come meet our guest." She said more to Rose than to the girls. 

"Yea!" Both girls squirmed out of her arms and immediately took to touching Folken's rather bare wings. 

"Folken, this is Rose, my aunt and you've already met my cousins Shiloh and Chloe." 

"Nice to meet you," he offered Rose his left hand and then knelt so the girls wouldn't have to stretch so high to see him. 

"Folken, what happened to your wings?" Chloe asked, her crystal blue eyes looking into his garnet ones boldly. 

"I'm molting, they grow back in a couple days." He smiled and tousled her blonde hair. 

Shiloh tentatively put a finger to his split lip. 

"Does it hurt a lot?" she asked. 

"Not so much but don't push on it." He gently took her hand from his lip. Suddenly he felt extremely homesick and that reminded him of every other injury he had suffered, suddenly he was achy all over and was forced to sit on the couch. 

"Uh, it hurts more today than it did yesterday." He gasped when Willow put a concerned hand on his shoulder. 

"That's the way it usually goes." She smiled and then turned to Rose. 

"I brought the clothes." Rose smiled and both women left to gather the boxes she had brought filled with clothes that Folken could pick from. 

They carried them into the guest bedroom and laid them out while he played with the girls. 

"Hmm," Willow thought for a moment. "He can pick out the pants that fit and he likes and then the shirts he likes and we'll adjust them for his arm after he can draw back his wings," she thought out loud. 

"Sounds good." Rose smiled. Willow blushed profusely and turned back to finish laying out the clothes in sets she liked. 

"He's quite impressive." Rose smiled. 

"Mm, hm." Willow tried desperately to hide her red face. 

"I think you should hang on to this one." They both laughed and Folken appeared in the doorway. 

"You can try on the pants and pick some shirts you like, we'll make adjustments later if we need to." She smiled and dragged Rose from the room. Later, he immerged wearing a pair of black pants that looked a lot like the ones he'd been wearing the day he was thrown into the yard, he was wearing the shoes he'd been wearing, (some how they were the only thing that had survived the fall.) In addition, he had wrapped a dark blue sheet around his shoulders, resulting in a rather medieval look. 

The girls had been given colorful markers and paper to play with and both girls had set out to create the best get well cards ever. When Chloe had finished she jumped up and handed it to Folken. Scrawled across the top she had written 'Git wel Fulcan' he smiled and took it. 

"My, you are some artist little Chloe. I think you capture the true me." He smiled and looked at the page again, it was a rather stick figure form of himself with blue hair, a gray arm with what looked like talons on the fingertips and two comb-like black wings. 

"Its for you Folken so you'll get better soon." She smiled and he patted the top of her head. 

Shiloh butted her sister out of the way and put her picture in his lap, it was a blue flower, drawn simply but well for a six year old. He knew exactly what it meant by just looking at it. Her spelling had been slightly better than Chloe's when she wrote 'Fele better Folcen.' across the bottom of the page. 

"It's a flower 'cuz you crashed into aunt Willow's flowers and its blue cause of your hair." She grinned victoriously. 

"That's very clever, Shiloh. They're both really great get well cards." He smiled and hugged both girls. "I feel better already." 

"Well, I'm afraid we have to leave." Rose said to Willow, giving her a quick hug. "Keep an eye on that one I've seen the way he looks at you." She teased in a whisper. Willow smacked her shoulder and gathered both the little girls into her arms. 

"Bye my little girls, say 'hi!' to your daddy for me." 

Shiloh and Chloe ran to Folken who knelt and wrapped his arms around them. 

"Bye Folken." They said in unison and ran out the door after their mother.   
  
"He liked mine better!" 

"No, mine! He said it was clever!" 

"Mine" 

"No Mine!"   
  
"Mine!" 

Folken and Willow waved goodbye from the door way as they left. Willow remembered the mail, she practically skipped to the mailbox with the feeling of pure joy she had. 

**A/N**: *yawns* I'm sicka nd I should be in bed but I'm getting stirr crazy so you guys get to reap the fruits of my efforts to do something besides lay in bed all day long.   
Hehehe. You have to love those two little girls! They're just a nifty little add in that makes poor Folkie feel a little less home sick. I mean he has to feel pretty bad, having an entire planet ripped out from under his feet…   
**Feedback:** Any sort of constructive critisism is help mainly on my weaknesses. Orginaization, dialogue, Characterization, Stream of Consciousness, etc. Encouragement is nice as well, but really I'm seeking to grow as a writer. Any literary techniques I can learn are great. 


	5. A Letter and a Peaceful Night

**Weeping Willow**   
(revised version) 

**Chapter 5: A Letter and A "Peaceful" Night**

Willow sorted through the mail. 

"Junk, bill, junk, junk, letter from the company, and AH!" She yelped in pain when a letter in a black envelope sent a spark flying into her fingertips causing her to drop it. Carefully she picked it up and looked at it. 

"Its addressed to _you,_" She looked at it puzzled and handed it to him. 

"Hmm," Folken studied it trying to decide whether he should open it or not, "Its from the Ispano clan… their the people, if you could even call them that," he snorted, "that made Escaflowne and… my arm." 

Willow gasped, putting her hand to her now open mouth, her voice had been lost somewhere on the floor. Folken was trembling at the thought of what the letter might contain. 

"Willow, could you do me the greatest favor yet and read that letter to me, I'm afraid I don't have the energy to read it myself just now," he gasped slightly, rubbing his forehead as he handed it back to her. 

"I most certainly will not! Folken, what they did to you was just shear torture, and making a blood pact with a machine? That's just absurd. I will not read this until you're ready to read it yourself!" 

Folken smiled both from the idea he had just had and from her reaction to the letter. 

"What are you smiling at?" 

"I just realized I can actually say no to them now. I know it must seem strange but…" 

"It most certainly does not, it makes perfect sense, while you were in their control your life depended on them and they could do what ever they wanted with it, right?" 

"Well, yes." 

"That's just cruel, and especially to a fifteen year old boy." She held it between her index finger and thumb with her arm extended as if the letter were the most vile and disgusting thing she had ever seen. Folken was holding himself back, her anger fueled the flame in his heart and made him feel like he was walking on air. He could hardly contain himself as he watched her heated actions, looking at more of her than was appropriate. He knew it was all too quick he knew he shouldn't be thinkign what he was but he couldn't help it. 

"If I didn't think it might contain something you might actually need to know then I'd burn this thing right here and now!" 

Folken couldn't help himself he pulled her into his arms, she dropped the letter 

"Folken," She gasped before his lips covered hers in a passionate kiss. 

He kissed her fervently, loving the feel of her skin under his touch, softness of her hair that brushed against his cheek. He knew he wasn't healed enough for this, he shouldn't be moving so fast but he didn't care. He pressed his lips more intensely against hers, savoring every last drop of her tightening embrace. She tensed noticableable and suddenly he tasted the saltiness of his own blood as his spilt lip opened again. He moaned and pulled himself away from her. He felt ashamed and rash, like foolish teenager. 

"I'm so sorry Willow, forgive me I feel I've lost nearly all restraint of myself. I love you… but I just can't go on." He wavered and nearly fell over in her arms. 

"Oh, Folken, don't feel so bad." She put her hand to his bleeding lip. 

"I… just… forgive me." He fell unconscious in her arms.   


* * * 

Folken woke late that evening, Willow was sitting at her drawing desk, she had been sitting there since soon after he passed out and she laid him on the couch. He just watched her; she was drawing intently not taking her eyes from the page except to look at the photo she was sketching from. Finally she set her pen aside and grabbed her watercolor pencils. He watched as she blended just the right amounts of blues and greens. Finally, he couldn't stand the curiosity any more he stood carefully, pushing his wings back and out of the way. 

He looked over her shoulder to see the blue jay from earlier, both the photo she had taken and the sketch she now was finishing. He gently laid his hand on her shoulder. 

"It's beautiful, when did you develop the film?" He asked softly. 

"While you were asleep, it took about an hour and I've been working on this for…" She looked at the clock; it read 6:30 "…Three hours." 

Folken whistled at how long he'd been passed out. He watched as she made her last few adjustments to the picture, blending the green background a little more before setting it in a safe place. Her stomach growled and they laughed lightly and walked into the kitchen. She made a quick dinner of a pre-cooked chicken that she just had to put in the oven for thirty minutes. He helped her gather and make a salad, trying to focus on preparing the food more than he was on holding her waist. Several times, he had to almost shove himself into another room to get his mind out of the gutter. 

"Willow?" 

"Folken?" 

"About earlier…" 

"Shhh," she put her finger to his lips to silence him, "Folken, don't worry about it…"she took a ragged breath, "You just startled me, that's all." She looked into his loving eyes and wondered if this was to good to be true. 

"I love you Willow," he whispered, gently wrapping his arms around her waist. She pursed her lips, wondering how in such a short amount of time he could come to love her and how he could have raised the feeling of excitement that was taking her breath away.It seemed all to fast but she felt she'd known him all her life, but just been waiting to find him. 

"I love you too," She sighed, falling into his gentle embrace. She felt safe, the tough occured to her in a moment and it surprised her. His touch, his voice, just his pressence made her feel SAFE, in a world that had threatened her for so long. 

"I'll always be here for you, Willow, tell me everything, leave out no detail." He purred into her ear, his warm breath caressing her cheek. He wanted to protect her forever, to be her sanctuary, where she could run from her troubles a safe place for her to share her heart. 

"Oh Folken, you don't know how much I've wanted to hear those very words." She brought her hand up to his cheek, feeling the two days worth of stubble that had grown in there. 

They stood there for another minute, as if frozen in time, just holding each other while the smell of dinner wafted in the air. The buzzer on the oven went off all too soon and they were forced to leave their comforting embrace. 

"It looks delicious." Folken smiled when she brought it over to the table. He looked in the refrigerator for drinks and before he could grab a pitcher of juice and ask what it was she reached in and picked up a bottle of wine. 

"What's that?" he asked as she took out corkscrew and proceeded to remove the cork. 

"Just some wine I was saving for a special occasion," she smiled, "I think this counts." She poured the wine into two wineglasses, and he couldn't keep his eyes off her as she walked back to the table, they both sat down and Folken set about carving the chicken for them. Willow spooned some salad onto her plate and poured some ranch dressing on it. Soon they had traded dishes and each had some salad and chicken on their plates. 

"Tell me more about Gaea, Folken." Willow leaned her head on her palm, intrigued with the concept of a fantasy world, that actually existed! 

"Well, in Fanelia, as I told you earlier, there were dragons. Great land dragons, flying dragons that would occasionally soar over the kingdom and sea dragons that swam in the seas that were just beyond the cliffs behind the palace. I remember Van and I used to go out to that cliff and fly off the edge together, plunging down towards the water and flying for hours where no one would see us." Folken sighed and Willow smiled. 

"It sounds heavenly." She took another sip of her wine. 

"It was, I wish I could go back and take you with me." 

She blushed profusely, looking into her wineglass, watching as the light danced through it causing little red spots of light to flicker about the table as she turned it. 

'Wasn't there something in Judeo Christian beliefs about wine being representative of blood?' She was caught up in this thought before she knew where it was going. 'Yes there most definitely was, I believe Jesus referred to wine being his blood… but why?' 

"Willow?" 

"Huh? Oh, I'm sorry… I guess I was just deep in thought… I do that a lot." Willow set the glass down and smiled, but Folken had seen the troubled and contemplative look on her face while she studied the wine. He wondered what she could be thinking of. 

"Its all right… why don't you tell me what you were thinking?" He smiled and picked up his own glass. "What is the significance of this wine?" He hit the mark straight on, causing her to blush even more. He loved the bright color that was rising in her cheeks but her frown made him wonder if he should have been more delicate. 

"Willow…" 

"Folken, if its all the same to you, I don't really have an explanation that would make sense right now… Heck, it doesn't even make sense to me!" She laughed nervously, wondering why she had been contemplating something so silly and futile. 

"When you get it figured out let me know." Folken took her hand in his own, across the table. 

"Thank you, Folken." 

"For what? I'm the one who should be thanking you." 

"For caring, not many people in my have ever really have... At least no that I've believed, i've had a hard time trusting people..." 

"Your more than welcome." He smiled at her earnestly 

They finished dinner and cleaned up the dishes. Willow wandered into the living room again and took up her favorite position in front of her computer. She sat with one foot tucked under her and folken smiled at the look of childish glee that spread across her face as she pulled up one of her books. She started typing and he watched as her fingers flew over the keys, composing a literary masterpiece. She finished a chapter and then turned to him, finding he was only inches away from her. 

She sighed and mussed up his hair, which simply fell back into place. He laughed and ran his hand through his hair. 

"Want to read it?" She asked, standing so he could sit where she had been. 

"Of, course I do." He took her spot, and before she could sit where he had been, he pulled her into his lap. 

"Hey!" she laughed and tickled him. 

"Hey, nothing I might need you to answer a question or something." He smiled and started reading from the beginning. Willow read with him, correcting grammar mistakes as they went. Occasionally Folken would squeeze her waist a little more tightly when he read something that either excited him or made him feel sad. He cheered out loud when his favorite character kicked butt and complained when they were beaten down. Willow couldn't help but laugh when he got to the end and immediately put her hands on the keys, demanding she write more. 

"Go on, write the rest." He coaxed, desperate to find out what would happen next. 

"Folken, if you want to know what happens next you'll have to help me get past my writer's block." 

"Your _what_?" 

"Writer's block, you know, when you can't think of what to write next?" She laughed and he pinched her side. 

"How about if you don't write any more I'll be forced to torture you slowly and painfully." He said with a smirk. 

"No way! No how!" She laughed, giving him an indignant shrug of her shoulders. 

"Aww, come on, you have to write more!" 

"Nope, you haven't helped me get past my writers block and I don't know what to write." SHe looked away, tilting her chin up in the air indignatnly, buta smirk played lightly on her lips, giving her away. 

"How about our hero meets a beautiful young maiden and falls madly in love with her, fighting for her and nearly killing himself in the process?" He knew it didn't work with the story line but it sounded good anyway. 

"Nope, no good." 

"What if I just give up and we do something else?" 

"Sounds like a good idea to me, want to watch a movie? I just rented some new ones the other day and haven't had a chance to watch them since you fell into my life." She smiled and stood up, walking over to the entertainment center. 

"Sounds like you've already made up your mind." He teased, turning off the computer. 

"You've got that right!" 

* * *   
Willow picked up three videos and brought them over to the couch where he had sat down. 

"We have…Monsters Inc, a cute little kids movie I rented to watch with the girls, I heard its really good,   
they made it so that parents wouldn't be bored half to death while their kids watched it. Then there is Pearl   
harbor; an action, romance and drama all rolled into one about a huge war that happened a while ago." Willow   
held the boxes out to him and he looked at the back of each one. 

"How about Pearl Harbor?" He handed them back to her. 

"Okay, I've heard it's really good." She put it in the VCR and fast-forwarded it until the previews were   
over. She sat next to Folken on the couch, curling her legs up under her and leaning on him for support,   
he sighed as she moved a little closer. 

'Is she saying this all right? Should I go for it?' He shrugged off the thought and concentrated on the   
video. 'I'm acting like some love sick, hormone laden teenager.' He scolded himself. Nevertheless, there   
were moments when he couldn't help but hold her tightly, he squeezed her hand during the most   
frightening parts, just to let her know he was still there... This was all frighteningly too familiar, the horror   
of global war, the torture of commanding troops to their deaths, the patriotism of all sides. The sacrifice of   
blossomed youth to the god of war. 

After the video was over Willow was bawling. 

"It was so sad!" She sniffed and gathered her emotions. 

"It was sad." Folken caressed her cheek, wiping her tears away as he tried to hide his own puffy eyes. "I'm   
glad we watched it. I'm learning so much about your culture already." 

"What do you mean?" She asked, snuggling closer to him for comfort. 

"Your world is going through similar things to those on Gaea. Apparently, every culture is filled with war   
and hatred, mixed with love and compassion. All things are tied together by people's desires, they desire   
compassion and desire war. Somehow, there is a coexistence of both love and hate, although it never   
seems to be perfectly one or the other in one person or another. Its always a mixture of both emotions,   
sometimes love out ways hate, but more often hate out weighs love and breeds war." Folken was   
contemplating more for his own benefit than Willow's but she couldn't help but be completely enraptured   
by his words. 

"Folken, that was amazing! You really should starting writing things like that down!" She smiled up at   
him. 

"Really? I was just thinking out loud." He looked off into the distance. 

"Seriously Folken, you could write a book at this rate." She blushed and rested her head on his shoulder   
so that if he turned his head towards her there would be almost no distance between them. 

"I appreciate your confidence in me." He smiled and turned towards her, he had known how close she   
was, it was obvious. He couldn't help but noticethe feeling of herr breath on his neck as his heart sped up,   
how close she was to him and he couldn't resist her any longer. 

"I love you, Folken," she purred, her soft breath caressing his lips. 

That was it, he couldn't take it any more! He closed the gap between them and pressed his lips against   
hers, tentatively at first, but then more strongly when she returned it. He pulled away, weary of his lip, not   
wanting a repeat of earlier that morning. 

"Oh, Willow," He sighed into her hair, caressing her cheek with his own. "I love you more than I've ever   
loved anything else." 

"I know, I love you too." She sighed and laid her head on his chest, listening to his heart beat, her hand   
resting softly on his stomach. Shewas so relaxed and felt so completely at ease she fell asleep in his arms   
and he carried her into her room. He sunk into the soft cushion of her bed, keeping her ear to his heart the whole time,   
knowing that the sound of it told her she was not alone and that he wouldn't leave her. Soon he too fell   
asleep, dreaming wonderful dreams of life in Fanelia before the Dragon, before all the trouble… 

However, this time Willow was there, the dragon held her in its clutches its touch fllicked distastefully   
over her, he raised his blade and killed the dragon with one simple blow. He smiled in triumph as he   
gathered the ragged and rather distraught, younger version of Willow into his arms before carring her back   
to the palace. There was a flash of light and he saw himself by Willow's side, she looked about the age she   
really was when he first met her, only her stomach was rotund and there was perspiration on her brow. He   
dabbed it away and she screamed in torment as another contraction racked her body. He sobbed in joy as he   
was handed a baby boy with her crystal blue eyes and his blue hair. He laughed happily and handed him to his   
mother. Another flash of light and he saw Van and Hitomi, standing together he realized they were getting   
married and nearly leaped for joy. It all faded away as his eyes clouded with tears of joy… 

Folken woke up and looked at the clock, 2 am. 'Ouch.' He tried to remember what had woken him   
from his dream when he realized it was the immense pain in his wings. 

He sighed and rolled over so he was face down in the pillow his head was resting on. He reached over to   
wrap his arm around Willow and pull her close to him for comfort when he realized she wasn't there, but   
the spot where she had been was still warm. He sat up and realized that water was running in the bathroom   
across the hall. " 

"Why would she be taking a shower at this time of night?" He wondered out loud, rubbing the sleep from   
his eyes. As if in answer to his question the water stopped and a few seconds later the door opened.   
Willow stood in the doorway; she was in a fresh nightgown that came to just above her knees. She   
toweled off her hair and grabbed a comb before heading back into the room. She nearly jumped when she   
saw Folken sitting up in the bed. 

"Folken! You startled me." She laughed, a blush rising in her cheeks, she was glad for the cover of   
darkness. 

"I'm sorry." He apologized, thinking for a moment before he realized what this could be. 

"No, I'm sorry, I woke you up." She sat on the edge of the bed and started combing her hair. 

Folken fought the pain in his wings as he moved to sit behind her, he took the comb from her and ran it   
through her hair. If he was right, she would need a lot of tender attention for the next week. He set the   
comb aside. She sighed, feeling his gentle touch as he pulled her into his arms but was noticable tense. 

"Folken, I'm not feeling so good right now…" 

"Is your cycle always this hard on you?" He took a flying leap at his guess, figuring it was the most likely   
explanation. 

"Not always," she said in a barely audible whisper, "It's just been longer than usual since the last one   
and…" 

"Shhh, its okay Willow, I understand. I know more about science than just about anyone on gaea" He just   
held her for a while trying desperately to ignore the rising pain in his wings. 

"Thank you Folken, you are so kind." She sighed, leaning her head on his shoulder. 

"You deserve it." He cooed, cupping her cheek in his hand. She shook her head in quick denial. 

"No, I don't, Folken." 

"Yes, you do," He held her chin so she would look into his eyes. Tears fell over her cheeks and he kissed   
them away. 

"I won't argue with you, but I don't feel like I deserve it..." 

"But you do..." He moaned as a tremor of pain ran through his wings. 

"Folken?! Are you all right?" Her hands went to his shoulders. 

"I'll be fine, my feathers a coming in tonight, My wings be sore for a while and these tremors will get   
more consistent until their all in. aahh, ouch!" 

"Oh Folken, that's got to be horrible. Wait a moment! I wonder if our medicines will work for you, the   
food seems to be fine so… Hang on I'll be right back; I need another dose of aspirin myself, and I'll get   
you some too." 

She was gone before he could say otherwise and he decided that anything she could give him would be   
better than dealing with the pain. 

She returned with a bottle of medicine and a glass of water. She took two white pills out of the bottle and   
handed them to him, she took two for herself and swallowed them with a couple mouthfuls of water.   
Folken took the glass from her and took his own medicine. 

"It'll take about thirty minutes for it to start working." She explained and crawled under the covers, feeling   
a bit better after her shower. Folken lied down next to her, gently taking her into his arms, she sighed and   
rested her head on his chest, her warm breath comforting him. Another tremor traveled through his wings   
and she tightened her embrace until it passed. Soon, she was asleep, but Folken couldn't seem to follow   
her into peaceful slumber. He forced himself to concentrate on her breathing, making himself breath along   
with her when his wings ached so much he couldn't stand it. Half an hour later he fell asleep, the aspirin   
relieving enough of the soreness to let him sleep. 

**A/N:** YAY! another revised chapter!   
Thanks to everyone who's been so nice to review and rereview, I love you all!   
**Feedback:** Any sort of constructive critisism is help mainly on my weaknesses. Orginaization, dialogue, Characterization, Stream of Consciousness, etc. Encouragement is nice as well, but really I'm seeking to grow as a writer. Any literary techniques I can learn are great.   
  



	6. New Wings or Work Sucks

**Weeping Willow  
**(revised version)

"I was waiting for so long   
For a miracle to come   
Everyone told me to be strong   
Hold on and don't shed a tear   
  
Through darkness and good times   
I knew I'd make it through   
And the world thought I had it all   
But I was waiting for you"  
~"A New Day Has Come", Celine Dion

**Chapter 6: New Wings**

The next morning Folken woke up to find Willow was still in his arms, he sighed, remembering the night before. 

'How has this happened?' He wondered, remembering his confession to her the other evening. 'Its only been a few days and I already feel like I've known her all my life.' He tucked a bit of her hair behind her ear, revealing her peaceful face.  
"Oh, Willow, you have no idea how much good you have done me."  
_You love her don't you? _'No, of course not.' _She loves you._ 'How would you know?'

He traced her features with his left hand, and frowned at the dark circles under her eyes. He memorized how her long eyelashes faded from a dark brown to a light blonde, her lips and how the bottom one was considerably larger than the top one, resulting in the adorable pout of her mouth… He mentally scolded himself for thinking of covering those lips with his own. _You know you want to. You love her. _'No, that's something entirely different, I can't love... I'm a monster.... Its just lust.' _You've loved before. _'And look what it got them, my beautiful twins and dead, and its my fault, my mother is dead and its my fault, my brother hates me.... And it my fault.'

The sun had not risen yet but he didn't care. Folken gently got up, feeling the last strong tremor of growth run the full length of his wings and spine. Willow didn't stir so he just pulled the blanket up around her shoulders. He dressed in a new pair of pants, grabbed washcloth, razor and a container of Willow's shaving cream. He scowled at the purple flowered bottle but decided it would have to do, to his surprise it was a lilac smell that reminded him of the fields of Fanelia. He shaved and then went out on the back porch to shake the new flight feathers into place, knowing that after he did that he could finally draw back his wings, it would be a relief.   
'She won't have to see the evidence of that horrid fate any longer. Maybe she'll learn to love me, the way I l... No.' _The way you love her? _'Of course not, because I do not love her and she should not love me, I'll only hurt her more.' _She's been hurt already. _'And I remember it every moment.' _She will not understand. _'She will have to try.' _She LOVES you. _'She cannot, not now, not ever, I WILL NOT HURT HER!'   
The battle in his mind ended and he collapsed to his knees on the soft grass damp with the predawn dew. His wings encircled him and sob slipped through his lips. "I will not hurt her..." He took a deep breath and stood shakily. A soft down feather fell on his cheek and he held it between his forefinger and thumb for a moment before the wind carried it away. "But I will protect her."

* * *

When Willow woke up, she was actually disappointed that Folken had not been there. She got up and dressed in a white top and a long, pale green skirt that followed about her ankles and spun out around her waist if she twirled fast enough. She guessed Folken would be outside so she went out on the back porch to see Folken standing in the middle of the yard, his wings fully extended. To her astonishment, they were a deep sapphire purple instead of black, although it was close enough to black that with out proper lighting they would be easily mistaken for his previously ashen colored wings. 

"Folken! Your wings! I had no idea they were so beautiful under all that soot!"

Folken pulled his wings around in front of him as he turned to face her. "Actually it is quite the surprise to me as well," he still didn't understand the sudden change, "Draconians have white wings and mine turned black while I was in Ziabach, because of my own choices… I do not know why they are purple now." He ran his hand over the top of each wing and down to the tips of his long primary feathers. The truth be told he found his wings magnificent, and were it not for the fact that they labeled him a demon he would have been proud of them. And Willow didn't seem to think they were a curse. At the moment she was running her fingers over the soft down feathers, her hands were temptingly, dangerously close to his skin. 'She really loves them...' He smiled lightly, thankful that she didn't shun him as so many on Gaea had. 

"Maybe you've been forgiven, or better yet you've started to forgive yourself." The words seemed almost to be a reflection of her own internal struggle. And it was in that moment that Folken realized what she had been trying to convey all along, _She blames herself for everything. _'By the gods I wish I could kill the bastard that touched her.'

Her fingers ran over his flights and softly she reached the tip of his wing, having memorized every softly curved feather. She turned and smiled at him, a blush creeping over her cheeks as she stared hastily at the ground. 'I can't believe I'm doing this. I can't be falling in love' Her mind screamed a mental warning at the concept. She remembered speaking the very words she was denying now. _But you want to. _'No I don't. Everyone I've ever loved has left me, and Folken will have to leave too, surely he must need to return home...' _And if he doesn't?_

Folken couldn't resist the thought that came into his mind and he quickly drew his wing close to his torso, taking her with it. She ended up in his arms and he encircled them with his wings. She made his head spin, and his heart race, oh how he wanted to take her away to a place where she could be safe, a place where she would draw and write, he'd find her an easel and paints too, where she could watch the birds in the yard and have garden a place she could love him and wouldn't have to worry....

"Folken!" Her breath caught in her throat and she swallowed thickly, not sure whether she wanted to run or hold him even closer.

"What?" He asked as if completely innocent. She grinned and laughed, relaxing her guard. Her heart raced and her head was filled with a haze of joy as he held her. 'Maybe I do love him.' She thought. 

    "I'm glad you came out here, I have something I want to show you." He smiled and let her go, taking a small handful of his soft down. He held his palm out and then took it quickly from under the soft fluff. It hung in the air as if gravity did not apply.

"Wow," Willow examined it.

"There is something special about Draconian feathers, they seem to repel air, so flying is more of a floating and soaring than actually flapping. But eventually, when they're not attached, they lose the power." He blew on the fluff and it wafted slightly. "Also, I can control each pinion separately so I can change directions quickly…Like this!" He tipped his wings and shot forward, scooping her into his arms. 

"Folken!" She clung to him desperately, taken totally off guard. She felt his strong arms around her and knew he wouldn't drop her but she still was totally paranoid and tightened her grip. She was breathing sharply and Folken held her more tightly. 

"Don't worry Willow I won't drop you… I just wanted to share my wings with you." Folken buried his face in her hair.

"You just startled me... again." She laughed, relaxing a little, enjoying the feel of the wind rushing past her.

Folken flew straight towards the sun that would soon be rising. Willow relaxed completely, feeling his supportive arms and knowing there was no way he would let her fall. 

"This is amazing Folken, I envy you." She said in awe as she saw the lake appear below them. The city had faded away as they flew because she lived in the suburbs to the east of the city and they found themselves in the peaceful countryside. 

Folken gave her a mischievous smirk and adjusted his hold on her, she raise her eyebrow, wondering what the heck his plan could be. He flipped through the air, making a wide loop.

"Aahhhh! HAHAHA!" Willow laughed gleefully as they tumbled and twisted over the lake. Folken dove towards the lake. Willow knew they wouldn't plunge into the water but it sure looked that way until Folken tipped his wings again, slowing them slightly and angling them directly parallel to the water's surface. Willow lay on top of him as if riding a huge dragonfly across the lake. She smiled as a fish jumped out of the water, droplets of water shimmering in the early morning light. 

Folken couldn't get enough of her happy smile and laughter. He had seen her crying and upset so much lately that he had almost wondered what her laugh really sounded like. He soon realized he would do anything just to hear that laugh and see her smile. He smiled up at her and she smiled back, it worked, he had her charmed… Of course he did, he'd been 'trained' in more than he ever cared to know about that sort of thing… perhaps being a sorcerer would have some benefits after all… But more than anything he'd fallen in love, something he'd thought himself incapable of giving, let alone receiving. 

The lake was huge and now they were in the middle of the lake, it was huge so it would take them a while to get to the other side. 

"To bad its cold, if it were warm we could have some real fun" Folken purred seductively and he could feel her breath quicken. A blush covered her cheeks and he smiled, but she had the look of a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. 

'Folken, you are such an idiot!' he was ready to slap himself for the fear he had just planted in her.

"I'm sorry, Willow, I didn't mean anything by it. I'm afraid I've turned into some hormone-crazed teen. I won't push you into anything." He stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. 

"Thank you Folken." She relaxed and laid her head on his chest. 

"You know, back in Fanelia when it was really hot, Van and I used to cool of like this!" He lowered his heel into the water, sending a spray of water flying into the air.

"Folken!" Willow giggled as a mist of cold water soaked her. 

They laughed and Folken soared up into the air again, heading back towards her house. Due to the water Willow began to slip in his arms and he tightened his grip on her, she could feel the tips of his mechanical fingers poking into her skin. She shivered involuntarily and snuggled against his chest, getting as close to him as possible, so she wouldn't freeze with the air that rushed past them, creating an evaporative cooling effect.   
Folken could feel every soft curve of her body as he flew as fast as he could, pushing his limits to strengthen his wings and to get her home before she would get sick. He wanted to absorb the sensation completely, to rap his arms around her gentle form and never let go. He touched down in her yard, despite his large frame, as softly as a single feather. He carried her into the house; getting her robe from the bathroom he wrapped her in it and started a warm bath for her.   
She stood in the doorway and watched as he poured a mixture of bath salts, oils, and bubbles into the water; creating a pleasant, warm, and relaxing aroma. While he was busy she slipped into the hall, and took off her skirt and blouse before wrapping herself back up in the robe. She peeked around the doorpost and found Folken turning around to find her. Without a word he brought her into the bathroom and held her for a moment. _  
He loves you. _' I know.' She sighed deeply and inhaled his gently yet strongly masculine scent, She wanted to run her hands over his muscles and taught warm skin. Oh he was so warm, and so strong, she wanted to sink into his embrace and never leave. "I've need someone to hold me like this for a long time." She whispered.  
He was slightly taken back at her words, and he sighed into her sea of blond waves. He kissed her lightly and whispered in her ear, "Sorry I got you wet, Love." He started to walk away.  
"Folken."  
He turned back around.  
"I love you," She smiled and her cheeks burned with a furry. He nodded and left, closing the door lightly behind him.

* * *

Willow had really enjoyed her bath, she stayed in until the water grew cool and her fingers had long since become like ten small prunes. She rinsed her hair and drained the water.

She had spent quite some time thinking as she relaxed in the warm water. 

'Do I really love him?' _Of course you do._ 'How could we be so close in only a few days?' _Sometimes love works that way._ 'I feel like I've know him for my entire life…' _Maybe you have. _'But there's so much he still doesn't know...' _He'll learn, he WANTS to learn._ 'But it doesn't seem realistic. I mean an angel falls from the sky and falls in love with you isn't exactly what we call a normal romance…' She thought about the dinner they had shared and remembered gazing into her wine glass. She remembered the way the red liquid danced in her glass, the light playing through it in a glorious display. Red like blood... Jesus' blood? Or her own... 'Why do I keep thinking of all these Judeo Christian myths?' she questioned her self and decided to do some research on it… 

"Research! Work! Crap! I totally forgot! I have an account due tomorrow! I have to get it in the mail today!" She finished combing her hair and dashed from the bathroom to the kitchen where she had put the mail. she tucked her robe more tightly around her and ripped open the letter from the company.

_ Ms. Lewis,_

_ It is imperative that you not use the photo currently in question for the Dasault account, the new choice has been faxed to your computer line, it will also be sent to you in the mail as of this Thursday. _

_ Photography Director,_

_ Sally Hannah_

Willow had just about flipped when she read this. 

"Holy C*^&! They expect me to get that photo today, turn around and have it tweaked by this afternoon! What the Heck is their problem!" She threw the letter in the trash and contemplated retrieving it so she could watch it go up in flames.

"Willow?" Folken looked around the doorpost, wondering what had gotten her so upset.

"Sorry Folken, I have to get some stuff done for work. They sent me photo that they'd rather use for a customer and even though I already had it done before…"

"You have to start over." He finished for her.

"Yes," she was glad he understood and quickly made her way out to the mailbox. Luckily the mail had just been dropped off. She flipped through all the letters, ignoring the card from her sister, and what looked like another letter from the local church, until she found the envelope she was looking for.

"Ah HA!" She ran back into the house and threw the rest of the mail on the counter before tearing the envelope open. Folken just watched as she practically flew to the computer, still in her bathrobe. He nearly laughed when it wouldn't seem to start fast enough for her, she growled and got up to change.

"I'm changing, type in the password when the login box comes up." She rushed past him and into her bedroom, slamming the door as she went.

Folken shook his head, he could definitely relate to the way she was feeling, although he never had been quite so expressive when Dilandau had caused him extra work. He smiled at the irony of it all. The login box came up and he typed in her password.

**********

He heard the usual chiming tune as the desktop came up. Willow threw open her door and quickly ran down the steps she was wearing a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. Not that he didn't like it, in fact he was rather enticed at the way the pants hugged her form. She brushed past him and sat down at her computer, she scanned the photo and brought up her photo-editing program.

With in an hour she had managed to fix up the new photo so that it would fit into the old format and placed it into the document. She saved it to a disk and printed out a copy, checking to made sure it was the right amount on picas high and wide, that it would work right for the product and other important factors. She sighed and stuffed it into and airborne package, she sealed it and printed out a label. She picked up the phone.

"Yes, I need a pick up this afternoon, at account number 780967" She said hurriedly.

"Good, it'll be on the front porch." She hung up the phone and practically hurled the envelope onto the front steps. She slammed the door and leaned against it.

"What the h*## they'd do with out me I have no idea. Besides, I liked the photo I took better than the dumb one they sent me… Come to think of it they never really do that… must be my new photography director." She shrugged and Folken just shook his head, smirking at the way she had finally come to a rapid halt. " I really need to get a new job.

"What's that look for?" She spat, the man infuriated her and befuddled her mind, that adorable grin was making her dizzy... 

"Nothing."

"You don't look at people like that for nothing."

He raised a brow and then grinned broadly. "It's a secret." Willow nearly fell over at the look on his face.

"Fine, be that way!" She laughed.

"I will."

"Tsk, tsk" Willow shook her head and headed back into the kitchen. "I thought that for sure you'd be starving by now, but with comments like that I'd beg to differ."

"Why? Secrets can be wonderful things."

"But, when you tell them you can get one of two things, a whole lot of trouble, or something fun, in this case something to put in your stomach." She set about searching for something to eat, supplies were scarce so she contemplated ordering pizza.

"Well, what if I told you the secret was that you amuse me."

"Then that's no real secret at all is it?"

"I guess not." He smiled, half tempted to kiss her.

"Well, then problem solved, I'm going to order pizza and I'll fix up a couple shirts so you can wear them. That way we can go out for dinner and get some groceries." She was pretty much thinking out loud.

"All right, I have no idea what pizza is but I'll take your word on it." 

Willow smiled, he seemed so innocent and so much like a child that was longing for knowledge, and that was for sure. He had managed to find all of her historical books, art books, books she had on birds, and on flowers, some wildlife and gardening magazines, all of which were sitting in a pile in the living room, he had already read one book and the majority of a magazine while she was bathing. 

She picked up the phone and ordered a large pizza, half with ham and pineapple, the other half with sausage and mushrooms.

Folken sat down in front of her computer and pulled up the folder containing one of her books in it. He clicked on the first document, remembering that she had them in order.

Willow beamed as she watched him reading intently, his eyes never leaving the screen. She picked up her camera and took a couple photos of his beautifully outstretched wings. The light danced through the finer feathers, making the outline of his wings glow a light violet. She smiled as his tussled hair wafted gently with a breeze that floated through the open windows. She had half a roll of film left when she got a brilliant idea. She grinned with reckless abandon.

He laughed lightly at a comical part in her book and she smiled even more. He read a little farther and came across a line that was in a different font color. He raised an eyebrow and realized this was one of her earlier books, meaning this little comment had to be from the best friend that had died… 

'Wow they had to be close,' he thought. Everyone_ she's loved has left her or hurt her, except for those precious little girls. _The realization was one the washed over him and left a slightly bitter yet sorrowful taste in his mouth. He smiled as her read the comment and read on to find more scattered through out the document. When he finished reading he stretched and turned to find her dozing on the couch. He turned off the computer and sat on the edge of the couch. She stirred slightly and he laid his cool right hand on her cheek, the smooth cold metal caressing her soft skin as if it were his natural hand. She opened her eyes groggily and smiled up at him, stretching involuntarily. Her back popped and she moaned at the stiffness in her joints. The doorbell rang and she sat up.

"That'll be the pizza." She grabbed her purse and pulled out enough money to pay for the pizza and the tip before running to the door. She paid for it and carried it into the kitchen. 

Folken found pizza very much to his liking and ate nearly half of the extremely huge pizza. Willow had guessed that he would eat that much and was glad that she'd still have left over pizza. 

'Its always a good thing to have pizza around.' She smiled at the thought, remembering how her and her best friend had always eaten pizza when they spent the weekend together. That and vanilla ice cream, yumm.... 

Folken couldn't help but notice her dazed and smiling look, he knew she was thinking of something that made her feel happy. He couldn't help but want share in her thought, whatever it was, just because of the completely contented look on her face. 

"Willow…Willow?" he whistled and waved a hand in front of he face. She shook her head and was woken from her revelry. 

"Huh? Wah? Oh, sorry Folken I was just thinking," she lifted her plate and carried it onto the kitchen, Folken followed after her. It was then that she noticed his wings weren't out any more and she wanted to cry, she loved his beautiful wings and it was rather strange to see him with out them. Their absence left a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Folken, you drew back your wings," She sighed, rather disappointed.

"Well, I thought it'd be better to…"

"No, no, don't worry about it. Do what ever is most comfortable for you. But I would have liked to get some more photos of them." She finished loading the dishwasher and set it on rinse.

Folken shook his head, he'd known how much she loved his wings. Why hadn't he realized how important freezing a picture of then in time would be to her? He sighed and picked up her camera before dragging her outside. 

**A/N:** YAY New Chapter! It's a fun chapter for you, gotta lighten up the mood once in a while right? ^_^ REVIEW!!!! Or I'll hunt you down and force you to sing "I'm a little tea pot" in pink poka dotted underwear on national television! 

Thanks Otaku Pitcher, *winces* that's what I get for revising a chapter AND proofing AND posting it in two hours, while sleep deprived…….

**Feedback:** Any sort of constructive criticism is help mainly on my weaknesses. Organization, dialogue, Characterization, Stream of Consciousness, etc. Encouragement is nice as well, but really I'm seeking to grow as a writer. Any literary techniques I can learn are great. 


	7. What the?

**Weeping Willow**  
(revised version)

"Let the rain come down   
And wash away my tears"   
~"A New Day Has Come", Celine Dion   


**Chapter 7: What the?**

    Willow couldn't help but laugh when he shoved the camera into her hand and kissed her forehead. 

    "Now, take as many pictures as you want." He stepped back and winced as his wings burst through his shoulder blades.

    She was instantly taking photos, the shutter clicked open and shut so often, he wondered how on earth she had enough time to advance the film between shots. Folken gazed at her intently and she moved closer, getting more detail in with each shot, she groweled when she got to the last shot on the roll. 

    "Don't Move!" She dashed back into the house and he couldn't help but smile, 'I don't think I've smiled this much since I was a kid' Folken sighed contentedly.

    He'd never seen any one else act like this, with such a fierce passion and determination in an artform. It was quite a turn-on to be the focus of her passion. She came back and he sucked in a sharp breath when she took close photos of his hands, face, mecha arm, and feathers. He could hardly contain himself when she moved slightly closer to capture his teardrop tattoo.

    He took the camera from her hands by the strap and set it gently on the grass. He grinned and pulled her into his arms. She doubted for a moment, not able to fully trust her own emotions. But Folken's tightening embrace and the gentle touch of his hands gliding over her skin woke her up like a cold shower. His fingertips felt like burning flames, igniting her senses and burning desire into her. 

    "Willow, I need you so badly, I can't live without you." Willow shook her head and pulled away.  
    "No," She gasped and stared past him, as if he wasn't really there.

    All Willow could see was her ex-boyfriend, or rather the sadistic glare of the silver haired boy with blood red eyes. He pinned her up against a wall and pulled a knife from his belt. She screamed. 

    Folken covered her mouth with his palm and drew back his wings, not wanting to draw attention from the neighbors. "Willow?! What the heck is wrong?" he whispered harshly but got no response other than sobbing screams.

    Willow whimpered as he took the knife and held it to her throat.  
    "You scream one more time and I'll kill you," her ex growled. She sobbed, pleading with her eyes. He softened for second and as she stared into his eyes in fear she glimpsed a girl with flaxen curls and big blue eyes, no more than five years old behind his eyes. The girl gave sob behind his eyes and the was gone. It startled her and appeared to startle him as well. He shook his head, regained his composure and resumed his attack with a renewed surge of energy.

    Folken carried the sobbing and whimpering Willow into the house and laid her down on the couch, clearly she was having some kind of vision... 

    Her ex loomed over her, he took the knife and slid it down to the collar of the blood red dress she was wearing. He smirked and cut all the way through the fabric. He had managed to cut away every bit of her decency and she sobbed uncontrollably, trying to cover herself with her arms. Unfortunately, it didn't work very well. 

    Folken covered her with a light blanket and brought a cool, wet washcloth to dab at her sweating brow. "Oh, Willow. What are you seeing?" He wondered, wishing he could take the pained look off her troubled face. 'My god what do I do?' You love her. 'Damn, not now, she needs my help.' Folken pushed the thoughts from his mind. 

    Willow sobbed as her ex ravaged her, bruising her lips, making her cry out in pain, slapping her when she did and smirking devilishly in triumph the entire time. He took the knife and dragged it from her left shoulder to the middle of her right thigh, leaving a deep red gash. She gasped for air as his hands went around her throat, choking her, cutting off her life source. She tried to scream but only released what little air had been left in her lungs in a soft and raspy cry. 

    Folken saw her lips bruising and gasped in horror as a huge cut spread from her left shoulder to her right thigh. 'What the hell is happening? I have to stop this!' Why? 'Because I can't let her die!' He took the blankets off of her and attempted to stop the blood flow without indecently revealing her. It succeeded slightly, but wouldn't be enough. Why? 'Because I can't live with out her dammit!' He noticed her neck getting distinct hand marks on it as she began to gasp for air. "No. Willow, you can't die on me!" She stopped breathing and he paniced. "WILLOW! No, not now, not ever. You can't die! Willow!" Not knowing exactly what to do he put his mouth to hers and forced air into her lungs, still nothing. " He glared at the hand marks on her throat and forced another breath to fill her lungs. "Come on Willow, please don't leave me," he pleaded. She coughed and then slipped into a calm unconciousness, he had no idea what had just happened.   
He lifted her and carried her into the bathroom, her red blood soaking through his clothes , leaving them damp. He sat her on the counter and braced her with his left arm. He noticed something that caught the light under chin. He pulled the thin sliver chain out of her shirt to find a pendant exactly like his own, a dark blue pendant on a silver chain. He shook his head and let it fall from his hand. He held up his right hand and willed a thin needle to emerge from his index finger.

    "Sorry, my Weeping Willow, but I can't have you waking up and assuming the worst of me while I try and patch you up." He sighed before gently penetrating the skin on her neck with the needle. He gave her enough of the sedative to make her fall asleep for several hours, hopefully he wouldn't need that long… 

    He shook so hard he couldn't keep the tears from spilling over his cheeks as he covered her as much as possible but still left the cut visible. He hated the way it stood out brightly against her pale skin, hated how he could see more than tempting amounts of her flesh and felt only fear for her well being. 'I'm not sure what to do about this' You know. 'I cannot love her, look at what trouble I've already brought.' But you do. He dressed her wounds and thought about what he would do now. He couldn't very well leave her on the floor but he didn't like the idea of carrying her rather naked body to her bed. Better to save that for the wedding night . 'No, better to never do it.' He decide to go find her something to wear. He searched through her drawers until he found a white slip. He thought twice about it and then decided it would be the best. 

* * *

    When Willow woke up she was lying in the hammock in the yard. She sighed and inhaled the soft smell of the breeze. Breathing so deeply hurt. the action tore open her cut slightly and she whimpered.  
    At the sound, Folken looked up from his book and immediately came to her side.  
    "What happened?" She asked softly, touching the bandage that went from her shoulder to her hip. She realized that she wasn't exactly decently clad and she blushed lightly. 'He must have had too...' her blush deepened.  
    "Willow, I don't exactly know what happened." He sighed, gently touching her neck to see how the bruises were progressing. "All I know is we were standing out here in the yard, I told you that I need to be with you forever and you started screaming and staring past me as if I wasn't even there." 

    Willow gasped, remembering what she had seen in full detail. "Oh no," 'not again, I... I can't let myself get this involved with him.' Too late, you love him. She shook her head and cried in pain and embarrassment. 'No I won't let this happen again, not like before...' That was before and this is now. 'History repeats itself.' But he loves you in a way you've never been loved before. 'I thought that Luke loved me like that, and he left.' But he's not Luke and he's not the ex that hurt you either. 'But what if...' 

    "Willow? What did you see?" He stroked her cheek lightly, wanting to embrace her but knowing he needed to be careful.  
    "It was my ex," was all she managed to murmur.  
    "WHAT? How?! What'd that sonofabitch do to you? I swear if I knew where to find him I'd kill him right this moment for your honor and sanity!" Folken seethed. 

    Willow looked up at him pleadingly, wishing he'd hold her and make the pain go away. She didn't just want the physical pain to leave, that she could endure, but the emotional torment that tortured her was enough to cause her to tremble.  
    "Folken…" She whispered.  
    "What is it Willow?"  
    "Just hold me," she pleaded, tears spilling over her cheeks.  
    "Oh, my Weeping Willow, please don't cry any more." He wrapped his arms around her shoulders rather awkwardly, but didn't care as he cradled her tenderly in his arms. He comforted her like a child woken from a frightening nightmare, but even more so, as the woman he knew he loved but could never allow himself to admit to loving. 

    She sobbed for a while and then fell asleep again. He decided it was getting late and starting to cool off in the yard so he carried her inside. He laid her on her bed and decided to just rest next to her for while, but was soon sleeping soundly next to her.  


* * *

    The next day Willow woke up to the smell of breakfast cooking. Carefully she shifted her position slightly and gazed out the window into the cool morning. It was spring now and the flowers in her window boxes were beginning to brighten up at the prospect of sunny days and visits from local bees. She heard Folken tiptoe up the stairs, trying to keep them from creaking but failing miserably as they groaned in protest to his bulk. She smiled and pretended to be sleeping.

    Folken couldn't help the grin that plastered its way across his face. In his arms was a tray full of scrambled eggs, fruit, bread, coffee and juice. He gently opened the door to Willow's bedroom and saw her still, sleeping form. 'Gods she is gorgeous.' he set the tray gently at the foot of her bed and sat next to her so she was facing him. 

    Willow's heart raced as Folken sat on the edge of her bed, she watched him through half veiled eyes and nearly swooned at how amazing her looked framed by the morning sunlight that streamed in from the window. 'Like a god,' she thought absent mindedly. You love him. 'I know.' He loves you. 'Even though it will only end up hurting him.' Or it could be happy ending.. . 'But it never is and I dare not hope it could be...'

    Folken brushed a golden lock from her face, and tucked the soft wave behind her ear. She looked so dazzlingly sexy like this he has having a hard time controlling his emotions. 'She looks like an angel.' You love her. 'Though I cannot let myself.' Too late, you already do and there is no taking it back. 'I know.' She loves you. ' She shouldn't.' But she does, and she's willing to take the risk. 'I don't deserve her love.' Does anyone ever really deserve love? 'I suppose not.' His left hand, gently slid over shoulder, down her arm and to her hip, he let it linger there for a moment before gently tracing the scar that was fading unaturally quickly. From her thigh to her shoulder, he had memorized every inch of the wound. 'I just can't stand to hurt her...' Its not your fault. 'Of course its my fault.' And if it's not? 'Then I still feel guilty. 'He gently cupped her cheek in his palm and she leaned into the touch, sighing lightly.

    Willow fought to keep from trembling under his administrations. 'He loves me so much.' She felt tears sting the corners of her eyes in pure joy at the thought. 'I don't deserve someone like him.' She decided it was about time this act was given up and was about to open her eyes when she felt Folken's lips press lightly to the scar on her shoulder and then to her lips. Her eyes flicked open at this and she gave him a short of breath smile. 'Gods how he makes my heart race.'

    "Good morning angel." His whispered and pulled back. She wanted to wrap her arms around his neck and pull him into and embrace but could hardly even raise her arms. Instead she smiled lazily at him and stretched.   
    "Morning" she yawned and then gasped, quickly pulling herself back into slightly curled position. Having pulled the scar tissue too far, she sucked in breath quickly through her teeth.

    Folken had his hand on her shoulder and gently tipped her head up with the other. "Are you okay love?" She nodded. "You should be a bit more careful of that scar." He suggested lamely, this wasn't going like he wanted it too at all. He looked at he sheets, trying to compose his thoughts.

    "Is that breakfast I smell?" She offered, having seen the disappointed look on his face.  
    His eyes twinkled with merriment and he gently helped her sit up "Breakfast in bed for the lady that holds my heart in the palm of her hand." She swooned slightly at his word and he gently put a couple of pillows behind her back, she leaned back into their softness and smiled up at him.   
    "Thank you Folken." She murmured, staring in her lap, suddenly extremely shy.   
    He set the tray in infront of her and then sat next to her on the other side of the bed."Your welcome."   
    She gently lifted the cup of coffee that had an abundance of cream and chocolate in it and sipped at it lightly as he picked up the other that had just coffee and milk.  
    "How's my patient doing?" he asked tentatively.  
    "I'm okay, just a little shell shocked...." Her voice trailed off and she took another sip of coffee. There was something she wasn't telling him, he could feel it.   
    "Eat up before it gets cold." He motioned to the plates in front of her and she smiled, shaking her head slightly at the awkwardness of it all. 

    Folken's left hip was pressed gently against her right while they ate and she rested her head on his shoulder occasionally. They ate in silence, it was slightly unnerving for amount until both realized that it was a blessing to just be together. When they finished and were just sipping on their coffee Folken wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her temple.   
    "I don't deserve you he whispered lightly." Willow's breath caught in her throat at his words.   
    "No, I don't deserve you" She murmured and gazed out the window.  
    Folken stared at her, half in shock half in amusement. The concept was so ridiculous he began to laugh.   
    Willow turned and glared at him questioningly. "What's so funny?" She found herself smiling, his laugh was so contagious, and it had been so long since she had genuinely laughed like this that she couldn't help it.   
    "Because," he gaspedfor breath, "We don't deserve each other." He laughed even harder now and she joined him, ignoring the sharp tweak of pain as her scar was pulled open more.   
    "But why is it so funny?" She knew but she wanted him to say it...  
    "Because we need each other," He laughed and then took a deep breath, calming himself as her laugh slowed. "And I think its safe to say that this is going to happen whether we think we deserve it or not." She stopped laughing and stared into his eyes. A slight panic hit her eyes and she leaned heavily on his shoulder, even breathing lightly was causing pain she found herself short of breath because she was trying not to stretch the scar too much. Folken rubbed her back. "Breath love, I know it hurts but you need to breath." She took a deep breath and let it slide out slowly between her teeth.

    "Folken there's something I haven't told you." He nodded lightly and she continued. "This has happened before," she touched the brusies at her neck. She was trembling now and though he wanted to bellow his anger at the one who had caused her this harm he gritted his teeth and listned intently. "And this, too, she traced her fingers over the scar, "Actually twice..." She took a ragged breath and pressed on. "Once, that you know of...that night... though not this bad." A growel resonated from deeping his throat. 

    "And the other?" He asked stiffly, but with sucha tender look in his eyes that she knew he was fighting back a flood of emotions.   
    She sighed and kneeded her hands, as she stared into her lap. "The other time was like this time, only..." She stopped.

    "Only what, Willow? What aren't you telling me?"

    "I thought I was in love Folken, and I thought he loved me." She stared out the window, turning her back on him and he saw the droop in her shoulders. "But he left, I thought Luke loved me but he left and now I know he never did." 

    It still didn't click and he put his hand on her shoulder, "I still don't understand Willow."

    "The same thing that happened in the yard yesterday happened at his house when I was junior in highschool. His parents were out of town and we were about to..." She stopped and swallowed thickly. "We nearly slept together, and I don't mean just sleeping." Her face was flushed when she turned back to him, bright red staining her cheeks. "And then it happened I had a vision, but it wasn't like this." Another ragged breath. "This one was at least twice as bad." 

    Folken closed his eyes tightly trying to take all of it in. "Willow, I'm not angry with you. You have to know that," He tipped her face up to look at him, and noticed that she didn't look into his eyes, but didn't stress it. "I could never be truely angry with you." he whispered now. "But so help me, Willow, if I ever see him.... you will most likely find me tossed into the county jail on murder charges that I will not deny."

    She watched a tear slide over his tattoo and she caught it gently on the tip of her finger, "Folken, please don't cry for me," My tears are already spent over this matter. "I can't cry for myself because of him any more; believe me, I've tried." She sighed and looked at the drop on her finger. "Though this tear means more to me than any amount of tears I could ever shed would." She gazed into his eyes for flash second and he gently pulled her tighter into his embrace.

    "If it will keep you from weeping I will cry all of your tears for you." He wrapped his arms tenderly around her. 'What if my touch provokes another vision?' He pulled away. "Willow, you have to tell me, what triggered this?" his finger tapped the bandage on her shoulder. 

    "I think it was the memory combined with the feeling of... lust," rose covered her cheeks again. 

    'Damn, that blush is so enchanting.' "Do you think it could happen again?" He asked tenderly, knowing what he implied was something more intimate than he could ask her openly or even truely suggest until... He wouldn't dwell on the concept of marriage, soemthing in him ached to spend the rest of his life with her but at the moment it really didn't seem possible. He wouldn't let her support him forever and he had a strange feeling that he would have to take her away from this world, back to Gaea, where he knew peace would finally be restored, away from the memories and the troubles. To the simple living so similar to the Fantasy worlds she dreamed of and wrote about. But he couldn't ask her to give up her home, that would be too much. He knew all to well what it felt like to have planet ripped out from under his feet.

    "I don't know." She whispered. "It's only happened when I felt I was in love... I think it was worse because I truely love you."  
    He tilted her head up again. "Say that again, I don't think I heard you," he breathed huskily.   
    "I don't know..."  
    "No, the last part."  
    "I truely love you," she murmured, his gaze pierced through her and she trembled slightly.

    He kissed her gently, so as not to startle her and then drew back. "I love you with all my heart and soul. Willow, I will never let anyone hurt you. But you have to trust me." He kissed her again, a bit more heatedly this time. "And I will break the hold this has on you if its the last thing I do." He kissed her passionately and she returned his kiss. His tongue slid gently against hers and then more passionately, not leaving a space in her mouth unexplored. The fervor was so intese that she nearly collapsed when he drew back from her. She gently kept him at arms length this time.  
  
    "Folken, I love you. You know I do, and nothing less." She took a ragged breath and then looked into his eyes with such intensity that he was shocked for momment. "But you cannot kiss me like that again unless we are married." She laid her head on his chest. "Promise me."

    "There is no way I could promise that Willow. And if I could I would refuse." He gingerly ran his fingers up and down her spine. She shivvered and moved out of his embrace.  
  
    "You don't understand..." Her voice trailed off.  
    "Then help me understand." He offered wanting to reach out and hold her.   
    "You don't know what it's like, Folken." Her voice was flat and montone. "To have a huge adult sexual world opened up to you when your that young... It becomes an addiction." She laughed sardonically. "Ironic isn't it? You'd think it would make a person terrified of sex when its really quite the opposite." 

    She turned back to him with a look she had seen in Dilandau's eyes when he was on the verge of loosing control, one of panic masked with an insane grin and a shakey laugh. He was frightened at the thought and suddenly understood a section of Dilandau's insanity that he hadn't before. The poor boy had been abused, how or when or even in what body Folken didn't know but it made a strange amount of sense.   
    "So you see Folken if you kiss me like that again I'll end up doing something I will regret and I'm afraid I wold not be able to forgive you or myself for taking advantage of that." Her words drew his attention back to reality. by  
    "Then what is okay?" He asked, "Because I don't think I can handle not touching you until we're married." 'Do I really mean until?' Hell yeah you do!  
    "This." She gently kissed him,, her lips skimming his and her tonuge sliding gently over them as well but not passed them. When she drew back he nodded and genty nudged her to lean her head on his hsoulder.  
    "Thank you, love." He kissed the top of her head and lifted her gnetly into his arms before carrying her down stairs and to the hammock in the yard. He brought her a glass of water and a bottle of asprin and then let her sleep away the rest of the morning while he tried to sort out what she had just revealed to him.  
*    *    *  
    'Sexual addiction?' The concept was theory that he'd learned about in his training but it hadn't seemed viable, there were so many unknowns... And so little proof that would actually be found. Heck, he wouldn't want it general knowledge if he were in that position but... 'Damn, I wish I'd paid more attention.' At the time it had disgusted him and he hadn't cared to even study it. Now he felt himself wanting to understand it completely, anything to protect her.  
    He looked at her and wondered, what exactly had she meant? A thought struck him and he went to grab her lap top from her desk. He came back into the yard and turned it on, skimming through folders he came acrossed what he had been looking for. A Folder entitled "private" He looked at her with a knot in his throat and an ache in his heart.   
    He opened the file, to his relief none of the documents were photographs. One down, another to go. He clicked on a document and felt his heart sink, a story, but not just any story, a romance, and not just any romance, but smut, pointless mushy hentia smut. He skimmed the document and realized just how bad this was, it was her writing style, she'd written this... He sighed and glanced at her, making sure she was still sleeping. 'Gods Willow, I had no idea...' He shook his head, all throughout the hundereds of documents were hot and steamy sex scenes, from tender to boardering on abusive. Closing the file he moved it to the trash bin, and hit empty trash.  
    'I'm sorry Willow, but this is crazy, I can't let you do this to yourself.' He closed the laptop and put it back on her desk. She would have to bring it up with him if she had a problem with it. It would be safer than bringing it up himself.

**A/N:** oh boy this one was terribly emotional....... The new parts of this chapter simply wrote themselves.... please don't flame me over the issue of smut etc. This is a real addiction that mainy people I know deal with. I'm not saying that in and of itself it doesn't have a place in the art of writing but, when it because a sort of drug is when and where this concept needs our attention.   
Thanks To Shadow Kat, that girl is amazing, go check out her stories if you have a chance, oh and REVIEW! 

**Feedback:** Any sort of constructive criticism is help mainly on my weaknesses. Organization, dialogue, Characterization, Stream of Consciousness, etc. Encouragement is nice as well, but really I'm seeking to grow as a writer. Any literary techniques I can learn are great.

  



	8. Hide Out

**Weeping Willow**  
Revised version  
  
"Everyone told me to be strong   
Hold on and don't shed a tear "  
~"A New Day Has Come", Celine Dion   
  
**Chapter 8: Hideout among the fronds**  
A week later Willow was feeling better. Folken had babied her the entire time and she was rather sick of it, not to mention the fact that she had suffered from an acute case of PMS and general discomfort. Folken had insisted on carrying her any where she wanted to go, and getting her everything she wanted, everything but a chance to do something for herself. Needless to say, it was extremely irritating; heck even getting a few moments alone to take a shower was difficult. Eventually she managed to wear him out and he fell asleep while he watched over her as she sketched from the pictures she had taken of him.   
  
She sighed and turned around to see him sleeping there. 'At last!' A warm fuzzy feeling filled her heart for a moment, but right now her mind was set on escape. "YES!" she whispered in excitement. She got up quietly and grabbed her camera. She snapped a couple pictures of him sleeping on the couch and then went up on the roof.   
Willow giggled involuntarily and sucked in a deep breath of the warm afternoon air. It was starting to warm up and spring was coming. She couldn't help but feel exhilarated. She glanced around the neighborhood and noticed her next-door neighbor walking his dog down the street. He waved to her and she waved back. She continued rotating and looked out over her own back yard. Beyond the fence were a small field and a forest that cut off the rest of her view. She continued to turn until she saw the weeping willow next to the house, in the front yard. It was the same one that shaded her bedroom in the summer. Now it was covered in small greenish – white flowers.  
She remembered the fort like hiding place that her and Zara had built in it while Zara was still living in the house. Willow ignored the tear that spilled over her cheek as she climbed into the tree like they had so many years ago. She jumped down through the leaves blindly until she landed on the hidden platform. She smiled and looked out through the drooping fronds…  
  
::::"Willow, what do you think you're really going to do when you get out of college?" Zara asked.  
"Huh? Uh… I don't know… sorry I was kind of zoning out there." Willow was daydreaming, once again. She'd do anything to get her mind off the anniversary that was coming up. The anniversary of… that.   
"Well, I just hope I get a couple books published soon… then it won't be problem." Zara looked out through the branches. She saw Michael walking up the walkway to her door, she giggled lightly and pointed down at him.   
"He has no idea." Willow smiled, he rang to doorbell.   
Zara couldn't help herself she snickered rather loudly. And when he turned to look at the tree with raised eyebrow, she fell back on the platform and laughed so hard she couldn't breath.   
"Victory!" Michael was standing under their hide out now; he had gone under the dense branches to find them high above him.  
"Aw, drat, no one's supposed to know about this." Zara complained.  
"Sorry, now I know about it." Michael shrugged. "How'd you get up there anyway?"  
"From the r…mph."  
"What are you doing? We don't want him to know!" Zara held Willow in a headlock and covered her mouth with her hand.  
"Oh, okay that makes sense."   
Both girls laughed hysterically as he tried to climb the tree. Eventually he managed to get a grip on the edge of the platform and he scrambled up next to them  
"This is pretty cool." He smiled and looked around.  
"Yeah, it was cooler when it was our secret." Zara acted annoyed  
"Well, now its still our secret, I'm just part of it."   
The entire group laughed for quiet some time…::::  
  
They had spent a lot of their time together under the gentle green fronds. Willow remembered how Zara had told her about Michael proposing to her amongst the cool green shadows. 'That must have been so very romantic.' She sighed.  
Willow stared up through the leaves, as she lay sprawled out on the dark wood. She couldn't help but hear the echoing sounds of laughter and all the quiet conversations they had had in this tree…  
  
She wiped at her eyes subconsciously, not realizing that she was really wiping tears away.  
"Willow?" Folken had apparently woken up.  
"Willow?!" He was wandering around the house looking for her, he checked on the roof and she had to stifle her laughter.  
"Willow! Where are you?" He checked the back yard and then the front porch. He stood there a moment with both of his hands on his hips, looking rather vexed.  
He walked under the branches of the tree on a hunch and Willow did the best she could to stay hidden. It didn't work very well and the fact that she was laughing into her hands didn't help.  
"Willow? What are you doing up there? He looked up at her quizzically and she peered over the edge of the platform, grinning her face off.   
"Nothing" she said innocently, but couldn't hide the huge Cheshire cat smiled she had.   
"Sure how'd you get up there?" 'She so cute when she's happy' he grinned happily  
"I'm not telling you." She sing-songed like a child, he wanted to hold her, to play in this "tree house" like they were still children, untainted by the world, still distant from the cruel hands of fate.   
"Fine, I get up there my way." His wings burst from his shoulder blades and he flew up through the soft branches. He landed next to her softly and sat with his feet dangling over the edge.   
Willow sighed and rolled back over onto her back again. Only this time Folken's wings blocked her view of the blue sky above.  
"When did you find this little hiding spot?" He asked, staring out of the branches. He like how they hid everything from the outside in but you could see clearly from inside out. The feeling that came to his mind was one of secluded security.  
"Zara and I built it." She sighed, still looking up through the branches, remembering their debates over the color to paint it and what decorative touches that should use, eventually it had ended up a pale green to remain hidden, with a vine pattern that snaked its way over the boards.   
  
Folken looked at her soft face and noticed the tears that were falling freely over her cheeks, even though she ignored them as if they weren't even there.   
"Willow, I'm sorry, I've been doting on you lately."  
"You were just concerned… and too kind."  
"I'm still sorry."  
"No, I'm sorry… I shouldn't be so selfish."   
"What do you mean selfish?! You're one of the humblest people I've ever known." Folken laid on his side next to her and gently wiped her tears away.  
"I'm selfish, Folken. Don't you understand? I cry for my pain, work to give myself something to do and keep myself comfortable, I write to distract myself. Everything I do is for myself, but where is that going to get me? Hmm? Nothing that's what." She said rather resolutely.  
  
He was Shocked at her words, surely this wasn't the same woman who had taken him into her home and helped him so selflessly. "Willow! I can't believe I hear those words coming out of your mouth. You have everything, a family, a comfortable place to live, job that allows you to live well and enjoy your hobbies, and you have someone who loves you more that life itself. You have everything." Folken scolded but then drew her into his arms.  
"No Folken, It amounts to nothing, it doesn't mean anything. I can't explain it any clearer, it all just doesn't make sense." She mumbled bitterly into his chest as he draped his wing over her.   
"Oh, Willow it makes perfect sense." The stories he had deleted nagged at the back of his mind, but that was for her to bring up. "You have so many things I would have given almost everything for." Folken buried his face in her soft blonde hair and kissed the crook of her neck, sending a waking chill down her spine.   
"Folken, I didn't mean to seem ungrateful, and it just.. I just don't' know. It's not fulfilling, and I don't see how you can love me." Willow whispered.   
Folken put his lips against hers and stifled the tears that finally ceased falling. He drew back to see a small smile playing on her lips.  
  
"Now, that's more like it." He chuckled lightly. He held her gently for a moment and then took a deep breath before beginning again. "Willow?" She nodded lightly and mumbled something like "yes love?" 'I hope she doesn't kill me for this…' "Last week, you said something about having a huge world opened to you, and it becoming an addiction…"  
She tensed and would have pulled away were it not for his arms locked tightly around her. A twinge of panic ran through her veins but she forced herself to remain calm. "Folken, could we talk about something else?" She shifted uncomfortably in his embrace. 'gods, why did I even say that last week? I was probably too much of a wreck to realize what I was doing!'  
Folken frowned and brought his hand gently to her cheek. "Willow, explain it to me, I have to know what you meant, exactly… I know it hurts, but I want to share this burden with you, you can't carry it by yourself for the rest of your life."  
Willow grumbled, obviously irritated "Not even Rose knows as much about me as you do and you still don't give up?" She harrumphed and took an invaded feeling breath, as if the air tasted bitter in her mouth. "Are you sure you want to know?"  
Folken was fighting back a mix of anger, distress and sorrow "Yes." 'I want to know everything about this girl, to hold her forever and never let go I want to protect her and make her believe that she can be loved…' "Tell me everything."  
"Maybe I should actually tell you what happened that night…" She looked up at him and he nodded.  
She went on, telling him the gruesome details. They were words that she had never spoken to anyone; that she had thought she would never reveal. How he had touched her, how he had hurt her and forced her to kiss him, how it had demoralized her when he forced her to kiss him back. How in a sick way her body had betrayed her and reveled in the sensations while she had retreated into her mind.   
No one knew what to do with a rape victim. when her parents had found out they had been in shock and then denial, no one ever spoke of it and slowly but surely it passed from their reality into a warped place where her nightmares taunted her. Not even the so-called therapist that she had only one appointment with could understand, and she had "experience" in assault victims. What a load of crap that had been. Willow swallowed the lump that was gathering in her throat, constricting her voice.   
"And from there I retreated into my word of writing and drawing and anything to get my mind off of the nightmares that slowly but surely turned into haunting day dreams. It was a terrifying world to live in, and none of the people around me walked there. Hell Folken, you don't even walk here!" The thought had been nagging at her and she knew he still couldn't comprehend, she didn't comprehend it herself.   
Folken was aghast at the concept. "Then show me how to walk there." He said softly. "But answer my question first, what did you mean about an addiction?" She had to say it, she had to bring it up and then he would tell her about the file.  
She looked up at him "Okay," her face went red and then drained of all color. "In my writing and reading, I came across some very… detailed romance stories." She went on to tell him about getting wrapped up in the concept of an "ideal ending" the sort of happily ever after coupled with impassioned sex. It satisfied something in her that had been opened up way too early, but left her feeling sick and even more alone. "I've never told anyone about it but I've been writing those same stories for several years now… they're on my computer…"   
"Not any more." She looked up at him incredulously. "They are gone."  
"But how?"  
"I deleted them last week." She glared at him.  
"Folken you had no right, did you even read them? They're works of art! They were private!"  
"Willow I scanned over them, they were pointless opportunities to describe sex in vidid detail, my god Willow! I knew I couldn't let you destroy yourself like that." He had to hold her firmly now or she would either fall apart or runaway. At the moment she was trying to do both.   
"You had no right! How could you? You don't know the world I live in!" She sobbed and then her head fell to her chest in surrender.   
"Willow, You can write more I won't stop you from writing anything I promise you that. But so long as I can I will find every single one and delete it, if it takes whipping out your entire hard drive I will do it! I love you too much to let you fantasize like that, its sick Willow, just look what it's making you do!" She looked at his hands, holding her arms gently but with strength, and at her own hands, her nails were digging into his forearms.   
She lessened her grip, seeing the purple crescents in his left arm. "Damn Folken, I'm so sorry." She let go and then wrapped her arms around his waist, leaning into his strength. "Thank you for deleting them."   
Folken couldn't help but stare at her. "Seconds ago you were ready to kill me for it and now you act as if I've liberated you from hell."   
She nodded, "You have no idea what you've taken away. But thank you, though I think I might have to take you up on deleting my hard drive..." Folken gazed at her, she really wanted this…  
"I want to get away from this, you're right it's killing me, slowly but surely…" She sighed deeply, beginning to relax after an emotional roller coaster to hell.  
Folken on the other hand had little if any idea of what the hell was going on, she's confessed to him and then allowed him to become an accountability source. A strange feeling filled him. "I won't let it." He rested his chin gently on her head, holding her as close to him as possible. He felt so confused and conflicted, yet strangely at peace.  
"Just promise me you won't ignore any of this, or act like it doesn't exist." She whispered softly.  
"I promise." Both lovers relaxed in each other's arms.  
A small white blossom landed on her cheek. He picked it up and examined it carefully. It wasn't quite opened fully and it gave him an idea. He sat up and pulled her into his lap; she leaned against his chest and he held the flower in front of her.   
"Willow, I have an analogy for you. See this flower?" She nodded. "Well, you see its not quite finished opening but it was knocked down by the wind right?" Again, she nodded lightly. "Okay, though it wasn't finished opening before it was knocked down doesn't mean it can't be opened all the way."   
Folken gently forced the petals open so it looked as if it had bloomed completely.  
"Sure, it took a little work and if it could feel it would have been a little painful but does that make it any less beautiful and captivating?"   
"No, it's still a pretty little flower."  
"And you're still the beautiful woman that I love Willow. Even though the winds of your life knocked you down before you were ready to land in my palm you're still the only person I love."  
Folken looked into her eyes, almost demanding she meet his gaze with her own.  
"Do you understand Willow?" He asked. She smiled and felt him gently running his fingertips over her jaw line, then down her neck, and over her collarbone. She shivered involuntarily and wrapped her arms around his neck.  
"Folken?"  
"Willow."  
"I'm glad you caught me."  
"I'm glad I fell into your life."  
  
They sat in the tree for quite some time until Willow got an idea.  
"Hey, since you seem to be able to let me do things on my own how about I fix a shirt for you and we go out for dinner?" She suggested.  
"All right." Folken shrugged as she jumped up in the branches until she caught hold of a hidden rope ladder. She pulled it down and climbed up onto the roof. Folken moaned as he drew back his wings and followed her. She skipped happily across the roof and hopped down the steps. He couldn't help but smile at her childish playfulness.  
  
Willow picked out a deep crimson colored shirt that had plenty of extra fabric at the bottom, she undid the seems in the right sleeve so that it was no longer attached to the shirt and undid the hem at the bottom. Folken watched over her shoulder as she ripped open seams and made measurements. She turned around and took measurements of his right arm, making sure to leave a few extra inches for the fabric to fit loosely.   
She took scissors to the bottom of the shirt and cut enough fabric to make the sleeve larger. After cutting the appropriate size and shape she took the sleeve and added the extra fabric to it. She adjusted the size of base of the sleeve and set about the rather difficult task of reattaching the sleeve and then hemmed up the bottom of the shirt again. Finally, she was finished, two hours later. She handed it to him and he put it on carefully, not sure whether it would work or not.   
  
She smiled proudly as he looked in the mirror, enjoying the satisfied look on his face. She laughed lightly to her self as she walked into her own bedroom and closed the door behind her. She rummaged through her closet until she found a nice, but not too nice dress. She pulled out a dress that she figured was fairly close to the same crimson color of Folken's shirt. She couldn't help but grin as she looked at her childish endeavor in the mirror. She opened the door to her room and the sat down at her make up set. The dark cherry wood framed a beautiful mirror and then created a desk like surface with drawers on either side of the soft cream-colored stool she sat on. She opened drawers, pulled out make up, and accessories. She picked out Her foundation and powder, a light pink blush, silver eye shadow, a deep red lipstick, eyeliner and black mascara before setting about the task of applying it.   
  
Folken noticed that her door was open as he walked down the hall, looking for something to do, and he sat on the edge of her bed and watched as she applied the shades to her face, creating a beautiful masterpiece he couldn't help but watch her design. He looked about the room, taking everything in more fully than he had before, taking time to notice the little things.   
Every piece of furniture in the room was made of the same cherry wood, the walls, as he had already noticed, were white. The floor was covered in a deep red rug that looked as if it had been dipped in a rich wine, beneath the rug was a cream colored, tile floor. The closet doors were actually sliding mirrors that were framed in the same cherry wood. The bed had the same cream-colored fabric that was on the stool she sat on and a crimson dragon in the middle. The sheets, which were folded back, were black with crimson edges.   
He noticed the photos that covered the walls more carefully now, most were black and white exposures that were framed in black frames. He recognized the platform in the tree, photos that he assumed contained Willow's best friend Zara, and her husband, there were some of the twins, and then there was one photo of a grave stone covered in flowers. He already knew what the names would be before he read them.  
'Michael, Zara and Rachel Brooks.' He contemplated, 'Rachel, that must have been what they were going to name their baby.'   
Willow finished with her preparations. She had put in silver stud earrings and put a silver bracelet on her wrist. Around her neck, she wore her pendant and now it was in plain view. Folken's curiosity peaked as she put on her shoes, she bent over to put them on and it dangled in front of her, drawing his attention to the area just beyond it.   
He shook his head and smiled when she finally seemed finished.  
"Are you ready now?" Folken teased.  
She smiled and stood, nodding.   
Folken took in her gorgeous form, the dress touched the floor but had splits to the middle of her thighs, it was slightly low cut and the back swooped low, around the bottom were embroidered dragons in black thread. Folken almost whistled in amazement.   
"So, shall we go or are you going to just look at me all night?" Willow teased and walked from the room and he followed her like a lost puppy. He was sure that if he didn't snap out of it he would start drooling.  
  
  
**A/N:** YAY! A new revised chapter! Wahoo! Go me! I know its shorter than the others have been. I'm leavign town tomorrow early though so I decided to be nice and post this, for everyone who's got the next week off from school (and those who are juist dying for the next chapter!).  
**Thanks: ** Harmony , Anni Lee, escape , Infinitis , LSR-7 , and Leiliiani for reviewing the last chapter! I love you guys!  
**Feedback: **Any sort of constructive criticism is help mainly on my weaknesses. Organization, dialogue, Characterization, Stream of Consciousness, etc. Encouragement is nice as well, but really I'm seeking to grow as a writer. Any literary techniques I can learn are great.  
  
  
  



	9. Visions and Nightmares

**Weeping Willow  
Revised version**  
  
" Where it was dark now there is light   
Where there was pain, now there's joy   
Where there was weakness, I found my strength "  
~"A New Day Has Come", Celine Dion   
  
**Chapter 9: Visions **   
Dinner was wonderful and both Willow and Folken enjoyed the time to just talk.  
"Willow, I noticed that pendant you are wearing, and I cannot help but wonder where you got it." Folken asked before taking another bite of his meal.  
"This old thing? Well, my grandmother gave it to me, she said to hang on to it and that it would come in handy someday and would help me. She always used to tell me that everything has a purpose. I guess she meant it would help me remember her."  
"Hmm, I Do not know how, but…" Folken pulled his own pendant out from under his shirt and held it out to her. She took off her own and held them next to each other; they were exactly identical. "Some how you have the same pendant that the guardian of Atlantis gave me."  
"That is really strange." Willow shook her head as she held both up to the light, letting it cascade over the silver chain and sapphire blue orb. "I wonder what this could mean..." She gently put her pendant back on, or at least the one she thought was hers. Folken took his own back and they finished their dinner, with a bit of small talk about Fanelia and how the twins were doing in school. Folken had noticed a slightly different feel to the energy of the pendant that hung around his neck but brushed it aside.  
Afterwards Willow drove them to the grocery store where they stocked up on food. Then Willow decided that a trip to the local oriental store was in order. She gathered up several of her favorite treats, including mochi, rice cakes, rice candies and other goodies. She found some green tea and a new fan for the collection she had on the walls of the guest bedroom.  
As Folken was walking through the aisles he quietly examined the food items and then moved to the isle containing other imported items, such as clothing, fans, jars and other knick-knacks. He walked down an aisle filled with huge vases, some of which he was sure he could climb into and be hidden completely. He smiled at the thought but felt slightly closed in by the huge fragile and expansive things that he quickly made his way to the next aisle. That's when he saw it, beautiful silver bracelet, it was obviously one of a kind, and he picked it up and fingered the intricate pattern, falling in love with the cold weight of it. It was well made and probably completely silver, he smiled and reached in his pocket and pulled out the small billfold they had been starting to collect for him. He had ID now that his wounds had healed though it had took quite some work to get the forged but unnoticeably so documents that would keep him from the scrutinizing eyes of the government. He flipped scowled at the picture that had been placed on his driver's license. He had questioned the logic of the entire process but Willow had convinced him he needed some form of Identification to get on in this world and he gave in. Yet when he had seen that horrid picture he questioned the logic again, 'Does it have to look that horrid?' He'd asked. Willow just laughed. 'In reality Folken that is one of the best license photos I have seen, you REALLY don't want to see mine... He simply shrugged and gave up.   
Now, he still didn't understand but assumed it would come to some good eventually. He flipped through the dollar bills that he had been raising by doing odd jobs around the neighborhood, fixing appliances, the occasional car troubles, electricity, just about anything that he could figure out from a manual and his knowledge from Ziabach. He counted out just enough money and quickly made his way to the small counter at the front of the store and paid the woman for the bracelet, sure Willow would love it. Just as the woman was about to hand him his change Willow came up behind him and tapped on his shoulder.  
"Folken..." He jumped, whirled around and kept her from seeing the bracelet.   
"What are you buying? I could get you something if you wanted it..." Willow smiled up at him coyly  
"Just..." He panicked for an excuse as he quickly snatched the gift up from the counter behind his back and slipped it into his back pocket. He looked at the items on the counter and saw something that seemed viable "Some gum, yes, that's it, gum." He laughed lightly and picked up a package of gum from the counter and turned around to face the cashier. "Just the gum please ma'am" He winked at the cashier and handed her the fifty cents change she had just handed him. She smiled and took it.   
"Folken, I insist, it's just some gum."  
"Will that be all?"  
"Yes Ma'am. That is exactly my point, Willow, just some gum." He smiled and opened the package and unwrapped a piece before motioning for her to open her mouth, he stuck the gum gently between her lips, letting his fingers brush her bottom lip. She flushed lightly and smiled. Folken took a piece for himself and helped Willow put her items on the counter for the clerk to ring up.   
The two headed home as Willow decided she should let him have little bit of independence, he probably felt like he should do something for himself. She smiled to herself as she drove them home.  
Folken was relieved when she dropped the conversation, he had managed to get the bracelet from his back pocket to his front pocket with out her seeing it and avoided crushing it on the way home.  
Another week past and Willow was given several new accounts to cover for the company she created a label for a computer program, a book cover and the front insert for an instrumental CD. She put the finishing touches on each of them before putting them in an airborne express package. She sighed and sealed the envelope  
"I'm glad I only get few accounts a month." She felt exhausted as she tossed the package on the porch and called in the pickup.  
It was still early morning and Folken was sitting on the couch and reading the morning newspaper while sipping at a cup of green tea. Made her way into the kitchen and poured a little more coffee into her cup that was filled with chocolate and cream as well. She leaned over the island and watched him as he read the paper, his eyes scanning the page. She smiled lightly as she watched him, and realized she was beginning to memorize his little habit, the things that he probably didn't even know he did himself. The way he raised and eyebrow lightly when he was concentrating on something, the small changes in his expressions, what she knew as a smile (that few would recognize as such). Oh, but she loved that dopey grin of his! She found herself staring at his lips as she remembered the way he looked when he was happy, truly happy with a contented smile that pulled at the corners of his eyes. And that laugh, gods how she loved to hear his rich baritone raised in joyous laughter.   
Folken knew she was watching him, but he had grown used to her gentle scrutiny, it wasn't unusual for her to gaze at him from across the room, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. He sighed lightly and stood.   
"I'm going to give Mrs. Jones a call and let her know I'm coming to check on that water heater, okay Hun?" He looked straight into her eyes and she snapped out of her trance. He had begun to realize that her trouble looking into people's eyes was something rooted in deep insecurity and he planned to bring her out of it, if only for her to look into his eyes of her own accord.   
"Oh, right that's fine, I'll expect you back for lunch?"   
"Of course." He set the paper down and set about preparing to go. Willow took her coffee and sat at her desk, she opened her laptop to work on her novel, a sort of "rewrite" of Phantom of the Opera. Folken had been encouraging her to start something new, something that she could put all of her emotions into and this had seemed like a good plan, were it not for the fact that she had been afraid of her own ability to produce something that was ruining her life. With this reality in the light she was having a hard time writing anything, let alone something worth publishing. But now she decided to set to her task.  
Folken made the phone call kissed willow on the cheek and headed out the door, a tool box in hand.   
Not ten minutes later the doorbell range apparently by the deliveryman and Willow frowned. "I thought the packages were ready to be shipped, all the man has to do is pick them up and go..." 'Maybe he wants a tip or something,' she rolled her eyes 'or he's a new recruit, yes that must be it.' She pulled open the door.  
"The packages are..." She blinked, before her stood not the FedEx deliveryman but five short little men in dark hooded capes.  
"Um, can I help you?" 'Halloween is half a year away' she added to herself.  
"We are looking for Folken Lacour de Fanel." Said the little man she suspected was the leader of the group.  
"Okaayy, he's not here at the moment but come in… uh, might I ask who you are and what you want with Folken?"  
"We are from the Ispano clan, we sent him a letter previously at this address, did he receive it?" With those words Willow's face paled, suddenly worried that she should not have let them in... Told them to come back later, anything!  
"Uh, yes he got the letter." She gulped out  
"Well, then where is he? We must speak with him, immediately." The little man's tone was both irritating and frightening and Willow found herself wondering if just what had been in that letter...   
* * *  
Folken finished repairing Mrs. Jones's water heater and stood up. After kneeling on the concrete floor of her basement for nearly half an hour his back felt stiff. He stretched and packed up his tools before heading back up the steps. Elizabeth Jones was quite the nice old lady, she had shown him in and offered a glass of ice tea, cookies and myriad of other favors but he had politely declined them until he'd finished his job. Now he headed up the stairs, that glass of iced tea and one of her delicious cookies sounded wonderful. Besides, Willow wasn't expecting him back for another fifteen minutes at least.   
Mrs. Jones was sitting at the kitchen table, a ball of yarn sat in front of her and she held a pair of knitting needles that she worked with a grand motherly ease A plate of cookies sat before of her as well as a pitcher of iced tea and an extra glass. He smiled and sat across from her.   
"Well, Mrs. Jones the water heater should be working fine now. Just let me know should you need anything more." He poured himself a glass picked up a cookie.  
"Thank you kindly Folken. It is so nice to have someone to fix things up in this house. It's been quite some time since it was good as new, now that Ted, has moved on. He was quite the handy man, that he was." She stared out the window for a moment and sighed, a crease formed on her brow for a moment and her thin lips drew together for a moment, tugging at the wrinkles on the corners of her mouth. Her long grey hair was pulled back gently into a long braid that fell down her back Turning back to him with smile on her lips, she held out a check to him for his work "If I didn't know better I'd swear you were him forty years ago," She gave second thought "Without the hair that is"   
They both smiled broadly at this and Folken took both her hand in both of his. Gently he folded her fingers back on the check in her palm. "Thank you more the tea and cookies Mrs. Jones." She shook her hand as if to protest but then in wonder.   
"Just like my Ted." She winked at him and patted his hand with her other. "You get back to that girl of yours she'll be wondering where you've gotten to." She winked and then went back to her knitting.  
He stood and left, quietly "Have a nice day Mrs. Jones"  
"Call me Aunt Liza, that's what most around here know me as."  
"Good day then, Auntie Liza" He smiled and showed himself out, whistling as he walked the couple blocks back to Willow's house.  
* * *  
Willow paced back and forth, wondering what to do. Folken had left over an hour ago and five short little 'men' from the Ispano clan were demanding to see him.  
"I'm sorry, he's not here right now," she insisted, "but if you'll wait a moment on the back porch I'm sure he will be back soon." She ushered them onto the porch and shut the door before they could protest, locking the upper bolt at the top of the door.  
She rushed back into the house just as Folken walked through the front door. She grabbed the glass of water that was sitting on the counter and marched straight up to him as he huge his house keys on the rack.  
"Folken where have you been!" She gripped the glass tightly in her hand, the glass nearing its breaking point.  
"Fixing Mrs. Jones' water heater... I told you..." Folken was confused at her outright frustration and frightened at how tightly she was gripping that glass, which he assumed she wanted to hurl at him.  
"Not now Folken!" She nearly screamed but didn't, remembering the strange little men on the back porch. Folken was taken back.  
"What's wrong?" He asked, finally seeing her vexed look.  
"There are five little men that say they're from the Ispano clan, on the back porch that are demanding to see you! I have no idea what they want or how the hell they got here!" She dropped herself onto a stool next to the island; sitting with her back towards him she sat the glass down but kept her hand firmly around it.   
Folken didn't know what to think, he simply sighed and gritted his teeth as he rubbed his forehead with his left hand.  
"You'll just have to convince them I'm not coming back. Entertain them for a while until it seems I won't be returning... Meanwhile, I'll go up on the roof and hide there in case they decide to search the house…" Willow spun around and glared at him.  
"No! Folken, you can't keep this up!" Willow was sick of this; she didn't care if the whole world heard her.  
"Why not? Hmm? Give me on good reason I have to hear them out." Folken was acting like a child and he didn't care.  
"Folken, you know very well I can list several reasons."  
"All right, state them."  
"Folken!"  
"Willow!"  
"I can't believe you! Have you left your brain somewhere or has it just disappeared? Did you even read that letter?"  
"Well, no… but…"  
She couldn't take this anymore She whirled around and splashed the entire glass of water into his face, causing him to stop completely. He blinked for a moment and then wiped his face on his sleeve.  
"Read it right this second!" She crossed her arms and turned away from him.  
"So much for taking you back to Fanelia," he grumbled under his breath.  
"What did you say?"  
"Nothing," got up and found the letter, quickly returning he sat down on a stool next to her and read it. She tried to read it over his shoulder but it must have been written in the language from Gaea, because she couldn't decipher it. He whistled and stood. By this time, Willow was more than annoyed.  
'Take me back to Fanelia? What the heck did he mean by that?'  
Folken left and she ran after him.  
"Dammit Folken! Tell me what the hell is going on!" Willow ran to catch up with him before he walked out on the porch, She block the door way, standing with her back against the window set in the door.  
"I'm dealing with this, you are right I cannot avoid this any longer." He took a deep breath and then smiled lightly. "Besides I think they actually will be of some help… I will explain completely later, better yet, I will let them explain." He opened the door after flipping the latch open and she nearly fell out on to the porch, were it not for the reassuring grip of his arm around her waist she would have.  
The little men all stood when he walked onto the porch and the 'leader' came forward, attempting to look intimidating. It didn't work too well, considering Folken's 6'5" height and his diminutive 4' nothing stature.  
"We were beginning to believe that you wouldn't return." The little man said.  
"I'm sorry for the delay, you see, I haven't been well, and had not read your letter until but a moment ago," Folken apologized, using every ounce of the authority he had been trained to have.  
"It is of no consequence, we can repair and upgrade your… technology right now but it will not be free."  
"Of, course. I assume that it would be possible to take it out of the royal funds in Fanelia?"  
"Yes, but if I might implore as to how this will bode with King Slanzar de Fanel…"  
"No you may not, I assure you it will be taken care of."  
Willow was confused; she sat next to Folken on the porch swing, while the little men sat in chairs around the porch. She mentally made notes of everything that she needed to ask Folken.  
'How do you know you can trust them? Why now, couldn't you wait? What's going to happen if the Ispano clan demands money from the Fanelian treasury and Van doesn't believe that they got permission from you? Doesn't everyone on Gaea think you're dead? What did you mean by taking me back to Fanelia?' Questions rolled through her mind.  
"Now what exactly are the upgrades you intend to make?" Folken asked, feeling a bit more relaxed as he sat on the swing next to Willow. He wrapped his right arm around her shoulders and adjusted the sleeve of his dark blue shirt, keeping the cold metal from chilling her skin.  
"Well, the upgrades will make it lighter, slightly smaller, more like a natural arm, though the claw like hand design is currently the most advanced and to change that extensively would be difficult." The little man tried to appear comfortable but Folken could see around his calm act and knew that the man was squirming on the inside. He had complete control.  
"You are doing well, so far, be careful and I will not slit your throat." He said it so calmly and lightheartedly that at first no one in the part caught the gravity of his words, except for Willow, who was stunned. Folken gently tightened his protective embrace and rubbed her arm. All the little men were at a loss for words. Folken smiled authoritatively like a father would on an ignorant child, his gazed focused on the little man who sat before him.  
"Well, uh…"  
"Do continue on please, this is amusing to me, I should like to know what you would intend to do before I agree to this." Folken appeared entertained by the man's suggestions and it was quite unnerving to all present.  
"Well, w-we intend to add some n-new features." He stumbled to find the words.  
"Such as?"  
"New injections, which include a new sedative, a pain killer, a poison, and a stimulant. Also a thinner needle that is less painful, increased mobility of the joints, stronger outer shielding, and stronger in general."  
"Hmm, well, you can forget the poison, and I'd prefer to know exactly which chemicals and what their properties are. And I assume you intend to repair and adjust the bone graphs, correct?"  
Willow leaned closer to him and realized his pulse was racing, although he looked more relaxed than physically possible.  
"Yes, we'll be repairing the bone graphs, and I can have the chemical properties written out for you, I assume you'll want to recreate them if you'll be in access to a laboratory."  
"Yes, that is what I intend to do, and you'll leave the poison out?"  
"If that is what you really want, but I would suggest that it would be…"  
"It isn't your place to suggest, I said I do not want it." Folken looked sternly at the little man, who fumbled to find the words to comply  
"Yes-s sir."  
"Sire." Folken was reveling in his newfound authority.  
"Yes, Sire, I-if you will follow my assistant he'll direct you to our…"  
"Just a moment, I'm not finished. How long is the procedure?"  
"It'll be anywhere from four to six hours, under anesthesia."  
"All right then."  
Folken stood and held Willow in his arms as they followed the little men to a place in the forest. The leader pushed button on a small control panel and a massive black hole appeared in the ground. Willow gasped as a smallish levi-ship came to the edge of the hole and they boarded it. It carried them to the massive laboratory of the Ispano clan. Suddenly she felt extremely worried, as awe faded into concern.  
"Folken," she whispered, "Are you sure you can trust them?"  
"I know I can beloved." He turned to her and gazed into her eyes, seeing concern and fear trembling in them. "Do not worry, I am in complete control."  
"But what about when you're on that table? When you're unconscious and…"  
"You will have to look out for me then will you not?" things were flooding her memory, that made her tremble.  
"Wait a minute Folken, I don't know anything about this! How will I know?" She was trembling and he realized it would be better for her to not be there.  
"Do not worry Willow, they are getting paid for this, they will do everything correctly." He reassured her, not allowing her to protest by covering her lips with his own.  
They landed and Willow felt she would fall over as Folken guided her off the leviship, his arm still tightly around her waist. They entered a small room and Folken removed his shirt. Willow wavered slightly and sat on a bench next to the wall.  
Folken noticed her distress and came to her side softly, and knelt in front of her, taking her hands in both of his.  
"You do not have to stay, love, I'll be fine." He gently ran his thumb over the back of her hand.  
"No, I'm staying by your side." She whispered, and looked at her feet blushing slightly at the dedication in her voice. Folken beamed, knowing things would work out perfectly.  
'Willow Lacour de Fanel… sounds perfect to me.' he smiled and sat on the table in the middle of the room. Willow felt more confident as she watched the Ispano medical technicians insert an IV into Folken's left arm. He sighed and lay back on the table as the anesthesia began to take affect. Willow gathered her courage and stood beside his left side, taking his hand in both of hers. He squeezed her hand lightly and began to nod off.  
"Willow Lacour de Fanel," He mumbled softly, "I love you." Willow stared into his face in amazement as he went under.  
'He - he just referred to me as his wife,' the realization shocked her. All she could do was hold his hand tightly as she watched his face in disbelief, half expecting him to sit up and pull her into his arms.  
As the surgery was started, she forced herself to examine his left hand, not wanting to even glimpse the opening of the bone graphs and welding of metal. The sounds alone were enough to make her cringe.  
Eventually Willow began to feel as if she too had been put under anesthesia. She felt as if she would fall over, dizzy with the sounds of the surgery and consumed with the warm feeling of his hand in hers.  
She raised his hand softly, watching his toned muscles flex involuntarily as she did so. She brought it to her face, forcing the comforting feel of his touch to waft over her.  
'Oh Folken, if you only knew how much your words mean to me.' She thought, remembering the gentle resonance in his voice as he had held her so many times before, murmuring soft reassurance to her as she fell asleep. He had never taken advantage of her and she knew he wouldn't ever but she wondered if he too would be taken from her, like so many other people in her life. As she sat there, she laid her head on the table, letting Folken's hand rest on top of her head. Softly, she began to daydream; feeling strangely protected by his side…  
::::::::"Willow, what would you name a baby girl?" Zara asked, as they sat in Zara's living room. Zara was near the end of her third trimester and they knew the baby would be born soon.  
"I guess I would name your baby girl Rachel."  
"Hmm, Rachel Brooks…I like it," Zara said thoughtfully.  
"I think Rachel Willow Brooks sounds perfect." Both girls jumped as Michael said this and then laughed, realizing he had snuck up in them.  
"Ah ha! So there you are, we were wondering where you had gotten to." Zara laughed.  
"Well, I'm glad I was so missed." Michael kissed the top of Zara's head. "And how's my little girl doing?" he asked, putting his hand on Zara's rounded stomach.  
"I think she's fine but mom's a little tired."  
"Oh, well then be nice to mommy Rachel Willow, she needs her rest."  
Willow smiled as she took in the beautiful relationship they had, it was perfect…  
Or, it had been...::::::::::::   
She didn't dwell on the past much longer, although the happy memory had but a bittersweet end. Instead, her thoughts drifted to Gaea. Folken had told her so much about that place and it amazed her to think of what could be her future home. She daydreamed of flying with him over the cliffs, plummeting towards the water, perfectly peaceful. Her thoughts drifted to getting married, never having to worry about work again and at last children. She thought for a moment and then decided they would have her blue eyes and his blue hair, and beautiful white wings.  
However, the thought of children made her shudder, would she even be able to have children? After… she didn't want to think about it, nor why she had wanted Zara to name her little girl Rachel…One in the same, it was too much to bear but she knew she would have to tell Folken, yet another thing she had kept hidden behind the walls of her subconscious, one that she had buried even from herself for so long. It wouldn't be easy, in fact, it'd probably be the hardest thing she would ever do, but she knew she had to do it.  
* * *  
Folken was dreaming or having a vision of some sort. He saw a much younger Willow sitting in what he somehow recognized as the waiting room a doctor's office. She was dressed in a patient's gown. There was a boy about her age with his hand tightly around her wrist.  
"You can't have a baby, then you'd have to explain, do you want to tell your parents that you had sex with me?" He asked harshly. Folken's face drained of all color and then grew rather irritated, anger building inside him.  
'So this is him.' Folken seethed, knowing this was the guy who apparently, had gotten Willow pregnant, and not by her consent.  
"No, but… it's part of me, I can't kill my own flesh and blood, don't you understand?"  
"You're the one who doesn't understand, do you think I want a kid? Hell no! Think you idiot! I won't help you and your parents will throw you out and your ass!"  
Willow began to cry and Folken couldn't take it any more he walked up to the two and hurled a punch at the boy's head with his right fist, but instead of knocking him out it passed through him.  
"What the?"  
"I don't want to have an abortion," she sobbed quietly. She put her hand to her stomach, hoping that somehow her unborn child could forgive her.  
He tried to reach out and comfort Willow but his hand passed through her as well. "Oh, Willow why didn't you tell me?" Folken felt tears on his cheeks and he knelt on the floor in front of Willow, wishing she could hear him.  
A door to the side opened and a nurse stepped out.  
"Miss Lewis." Willow looked up. "I'm afraid your insurance won't pay for anesthesia, but it isn't a very painful procedure, you'll be fine without it." Willow nodded, frightened, and ashamed.  
"Don't listen to her Willow, its more painful than you can imagine, not just physically either!" Folken pleaded but his words didn't reach her ears, he knew they wouldn't but his heart broke as he watched her tear stained face.  
"All right then, the doctor is ready."  
The boy forced Willow to stand and walk through the door, passing through him as she complied. Folken got up and ran after them, only to find the door shut in his face. He assumed he could walk through it but instead ran into it. Damn, so he went through people and not things, what sick twist of fate.  
"No! Willow! Don't do it! Willow! Do you think I don't know what this entails? Willow! Come back! You'll regret this more than you'll ever know! WILLOW!" Folken sobbed and fell to his knees, resting his head on the door, he pounded his fist against it but resulted in no effect, there wasn't even a sound, only silence.  
After what seemed like an eternity, the door opened and he fell forward, landing hard on the tile floor. He looked up to see the boy walking away with his hands in his pockets, head hung low as he stomped out of the office. Folken stood and walked down the hall he had come out of. He looked in each room as he went, there were three empty rooms, a room where a girl sat anxiously, waiting the results of a pregnancy test. In another two rooms girls slept off the effects of anesthesia. There was other room where the door was only opened a crack and to the right was a sitting room where another girl sat, eating a cookie and sipping at a glass of cool milk.  
Folken frowned at the irony of the situation, cookies and milk like from the grandmother she would probably never be. He knew Willow was behind that other door, and he knew he didn't want to see what was happening to her. Nevertheless, he couldn't stand waiting in the hall while she went through such torture.  
He softly nudged the door open and stepped inside. As he took another step forward he saw her legs were propped up on stirrup pads and she gripped the armrests tightly, grimacing she tipped her head back and Folken could see the tears pouring over her cheeks as she sobbed through clenched teeth.  
"Oh Willow." He sobbed. He forced himself to look into the doctor's face and from there to where he was working. Folken nearly died as the small, only partially formed child slipped from Willow's body and into a Biohazard bag. The doctor pulled his instruments from her body and the nurse took the bag to dispose of it. Willow's body visibly relaxed but she became more hysterical, crying loudly. Folken came to her side and wanted to hold her but knew that she would only pass through his fingers. She brought her legs down from the pads in disgust and Folken felt comfortable sitting at the foot of her bed as she smoothed the gown to cover her.  
He sat in the stool the doctor had been sitting in and mourned for her, confirming in his mind how much he loved her and wanted to take her away from this world. He remembered what the guardian had said before she sent him hurtling towards his new home.  
"It is beautiful place, but do not let its beauty fool you for the wicked are hidden amongst the lovely."  
He knew for sure that this was what she had meant.  
* * *   
Willow saw the guardian of Atlantis. Her silver wings glistened in a light that seems to emanate from everywhere around them as they stood in a large field. She blinked until her eyes adjusted and then just stood there, not sure what to think, and totally confused.  
"Willow, I didn't expect to see you." She smiled, the warmth of her expression washing over Willow.  
"Nor I." Willow examined the guardian and knew she was doing the same.  
"I truly expected to contact Folken, but apparently..." The Guardian lifted the pendant from Willow's chest "you have his pendant."  
Realization rained down on Willow, "The pendants they must have gotten switched at dinner!" She remembered handing Folken a pendant, her pendant.  
"You have pendant? That makes things much more interesting, that it does." Eirene smiled and let the pendant fall back into place. I'd appreciate if you'd switch them back when you wake up. I have a message for Folken, can you relay it to him?"  
Willow nodded, still surprised to be standing here.  
"I have found a way for him to return to his home, in Fanelia." She smiled solemnly, knowing what her reaction would be.  
"You have? But how? When?" Willow was amazed, and she knew how he longed to return to Fanelia more than anything else, well, almost anything else...  
"The time lines, fate circles, and transition periods will be aligned perfectly for transport between worlds using that pendant," She motioned to where it hung from Willow's neck, "Exactly two years from now, he will arrive in Fanelia two days after he left, in his younger form." She explained. "Do you understand, daughter of Eve?"  
"Yes."  
"But?"  
"But, what about me? I don't think I could live with out him; I love him, Lady Eirene! Please don't take him away from me!" Willow pleaded.  
"Folken must return to Gaea, it will restore a balance o the planet, one that must be precariously measured every moment"  
"But I have a pendant! It's identical to this one! I would gladly go with him, I would rather die after two years time with him than live a lifetime without him!" Willow was biting back frustrated tears.  
"You do possess one of the pendants of the guardians of Gaea..." Eirene said, as if pondering the possibility.  
"Tell me! Will I go with Folken or not?!"  
"Yes, but since you did not have another form on Gaea you will have to come two years later, so you will both be in the same timeline and fate circle, otherwise an number of things could go wrong." The gravity of her voice made Willow hold her breath for a second and then sigh.  
She didn't completely understand but she still could not get rid of the sense of pure joy that spread over her.  
"I can not thank you enough Lady Eirene, Guardian of Atlantis." She bowed low to the ground.  
"Love him, Willow Lacour de Fanel." Her words sounded like melodious wind as everything faded from his view.   
* * *  
After the surgery was finished the little men that had been working on Folken left, Willow noticed their retreating footsteps and pulled herself up to look at his face. He lay tranquil on the table but Willow knew he would wake up soon, the anesthesia was already beginning to wear off and he stirred under her touch.  
"Folken," she coaxed, "Wake up, please, they're done, we can go home soon."  
"Willow?" He asked for her in a barely audible whisper.  
"Oh, Folken, I'm here." She was still holding his hand as he began to wake up fully. She put it over her heart so her could feel her pulse. His eyes fluttered open and he blinked at the bright light of the room. He was recovering quickly, very quickly and Willow knew that something about this sort of medicine made it extremely special and potent.  
"Willow, I think I had another vision."  
"Shhh, so did I, don't worry about it, just let the medicine do its work, then we can leave." Willow said softly, touching her fingertips to his cheek. 'Oh and here's your pendant back. She pulled it over her neck and looped it around Folken's neck as he held hers out to her. "They got switched at dinner the other night."  
Folken nearly broke as he watched her, he knew the pain she carried and now he could see it in her eyes, he knew he had seen what had really happened. He only wondered why he hadn't seen it before; apparently she was just as skilled at putting on a mask as he was. Willow on the other hand could hardly contain her joy.  
"Willow, just tell me, did you have an abortion after…" Willow came crashing back into reality and suddenly found all the joy fading for the moment.  
"Yes." Willow whispered barely audible, her face down turned so her hair covered her eyes, but he knew her answer already. He let tears fall over his cheeks and she looked up at him, searching his face for the look of disgust she expected.  
"Oh, beloved, why didn't you tell me?"  
"I couldn't, I'd never told any one as much as I told you that night, let alone… Oh, Folken you must be disgusted with what I am." Willow buried her face in her hands.  
Folken sat up carefully, he looked at the IV and knew it had only a few minutes of fluid left, it wouldn't matter if he pulled it out now. Carefully he slid the needle out from under his arm and put a piece of gauze and tape to it. Willow was still sobbing and he carefully brought her to a standing position, she kept her face hidden in her hands, not wanting to look at him. He pulled her into his arms, sitting her in his lap, and rested her head over his heart. She put her hands down but still didn't look up at him.  
"Willow, do you hear my heart beat?"  
She nodded.  
"All you need to know is that as long as my heart is still beating and I have breath in me I will love you, no matter what."  
He felt her trembling in his arms and knew she was crying when he felt her tears on his chest and sobs racked her body. He hated to see her crying, it raised something protective in him but left him feeling unable to truly help. But he knew that every emotion she had learned to suppress was surfacing. And such a flood of emotions lead to the tears pouring over her cheeks, it was release she needed. It was something he understood all too well. She relaxed  
"I love you, Folken." She whispered and he held her close, gently kissing her forehead until she relaxed in his arms.  
"I love you, now let's get out of here."  
Willow nodded and they made there way back to the leviship and then back to Willow's house.  
  
  
  
A/N: Well, would you look at this! A new chapter! Wahoo! Go me! Well, finals are coming up which also means summer is fast approaching! And maybe I'll actually get this done!!!  
Thanks: To everyone who reviewed the last chapter, you guys rock!  
Feedback: Any sort of constructive criticism is help mainly on my weaknesses. Organization, dialogue, Characterization, Stream of Consciousness, etc. Encouragement is nice as well, but really I'm also seeking to grow as a writer. Any literary techniques I can learn are great.  
  
  
  



	10. couldn't think of a title

**Weeping Willow  
Revised version**  
  
" _I can't believe I've been touched by an angel   
With love_ "  
~"A New Day Has Come", Celine Dion   
  
**Chapter 10:**  


As Willow and Folken walked back to the house, Willow felt as if she was going to burst from anxiety. Folken pretty much knew _everything_ about her now from her unique tastes and quirks to an in-depth concept of her history. It was starting to frighten her. How could he stand her? She'd spent a good portion of her life writing just to get herself onto paper so that maybe someone could understand the mass of emotions and memories that composed her, she'd tried to understand herself, and wanted to be understood, but _none _of it made sense. The strange thing was that as he began to see and hear her memories he was slowly but surreal beginning to understand her, perhaps more than she understood herself. It scared her. Not because she was afraid of him, but because she was afraid of herself. 

Still, she couldn't wait to tell Folken about being able to go back to Fanelia, he would be so overwhelmingly joyous, but she also couldn't help the bit of doubt that wrapped its way around her. So instead Willow just walked in silence, her hands in her pockets and her head hung low. 

Folken noticed her meditative position and decided to honor her silence. He simply kept a steady pace beside her, watching as she sighed and continued walking, only watching her feet. Every step he took was like driving a dagger into his heart, gods she'd been through so much crap... He wanted to kill the boy he'd seen in her memories, wanted to strangle the doctors for not asking more questions anyone who hadn't told her what it would do to her heart. He swore mentally and sighed.

He worried about her, worried about how she seemed to drift out of consciousness and into some other realm in her mind. He wished he could climb in her head and see everything she did, he wished she would completely open up to him, he had thought she had but he knew that there were many other facets to her that he couldn't see. More than anything else her wanted to understand her, wanted to be able to look into her face and know exactly what she was thinking and feeling; he wanted to hold her for the rest of eternity and he wanted her to feel the same. 

He remembered what she had told him earlier that day.

_"Folken I'm like I sponge."_

_"A sponge?"_

_"Yeah, a sponge. I soak up so much and keep it in me but all it take is a little coaxing and I can create something amazing."_

He had chuckled at her thought but now he dwelt on it.

'She has hidden pockets and grooves too, where she keeps thing she doesn't want people to see, it'll take wringing her out to make her give up on harboring them.' He shuddered at the thought as they walked through the field and into the yard. 

"Willow."

"Folken?"

"Do you want to talk?"

"Not now, I just want to be alone for a while okay?"

Folken nearly fell over, how long had he been here? Nearly three weeks he was sure of it, and he had hardly ever left her side, now he realized she needed some time to herself. 

'Of course she wants to be alone, she lived alone until you came, she needs her space.' He scolded himself.

"All right, I'll be out here on the hammock if you need me."

"Thank you Folken." She murmured her thanks and went into the house, moments later he saw her up on the roof and knew she was going to the hide out in the tree. 

"Oh, Willow, what will it take to get you out of that tree? To come down and let me love you like you deserve?" He sighed and leaned back in the hammock, swaying in the breeze. 

Folken examined his upgraded arm, the metal shined in the sunlight and he winced in disgust, the sight of it sickened him. It testified to his weakness and he detested it. But WIllow, she'd accepted it, accepted the part of him that wasn't perfect, even been so caring as to help him with it... but still.... If he had beaten the dragon he'd be king and Van would be happy, his mother would still be alive. If Dornkirk hadn't taken him in and contorted his thinking, putting twisted theology into his mind then Gaea would have remained peaceful, without him Naria and Eyria would not have died... So much could have been avoided.

If only he had beaten the dragon, if only Dornkirk had not found him... then he wouldn't be here. Then Willow would have one less thing to worry about… but would it really have been better? He knew the answer, no. Had he beaten the dragon Van would not have gone to the Mystic Moon he would have never fallen in love with Hitomi… they were probably happily married by now. Besides, if Dornkirk hadn't't taken him he would have taken someone else… he thought for a moment.

What if Dornkirk had used the fate alteration to cause him to lose his arm?… then it was all in his plan… all a twisted power struggle that didn't 't care who it harmed. Still if Folken hadn't't proved to be what Dornkirk wanted then someone else would have. If he had not been in Zaibach he would have never been able to rescue Naria and Eyria from death when they were young. If he'd never had reason to oppose Dornkirk as he did then he would have never found out about the Guardian, he would have never met Willow, and he would be a very sad lonely person. But his mother wouldn't be dead if he'd returned, he could only blame himself for that and he did so harshly.

"Its my fault she came to look for me." 

He stared up at the clouds.

'But if Dornkirk had altered my fate to cause my failure… then it was his fault. All the better that he's dead.' Folken sighed and grew very quiet, listening to the sounds around him. As he lay there a soft melody floated over him and he realized that Willow was singing. He strained his ears until he could hear the words.

_...I was waiting for so long   
For a miracle to come   
Everyone told me to be strong   
Hold on and don't shed a tear..._

"Willow..." He gave a melancholy sigh and felt the ridge over his brows begin to ache with an anxiety headache._  
_

_...Through darkness and good times   
I knew I'd make it through   
And the world thought I had it all   
But I was waiting for you..._

He let a moan slip through his lips, he knew she was signing in need, desire, love, pain and joy. And wasn't even the lyrics, how ever appropriate they seemed, it was her voice, gods how he could listen to the sweet melodies that floated past those sweet lips forever. _  
_

_...I can't believe I've been touched by an angel   
With love..._

He sat up now, in shock at not only her words but the slight tremble in her voice as it floated on the afternoon breeze. "I'm no angel Willow" He muttered, rubbing his temples. "gods I don't deserve her, I can't even hear her voice without nearly loosing it..." _  
  
...Where it was dark now there is light   
Where there was pain, now there's joy   
Where there was weakness, I found my strength   
All in the eyes of a boy ..._

Her words, her voice, it was all threatening to hurl him over the edge and he ground his teeth as he bit back the sobs that were wrenching his throat. Something about her just tore down every defense he'd every built up from people. _  
  
...Hush now..._

His walls were crumbling as surely as hers were "Why?" he choked out, "can't she see I'm unworthy of her, I could never be everything she needs..."

_...I can't believe I've been touched by an angel   
With love ..._

"_Love_," he spat half bitterly, "gods, Willow,_ love..._" He let a tear slide over his cheek unnoticed. _  
  
Let the rain come down   
And wash away my tears   
Let it fill my soul   
And drown my fears   
Let it shatter the walls   
For a new sun   
A new day has... come _

Could it really be true? Could they both begin anew? Oh how he hoped! How he dreamed! 'If only....' no, he was through with "if"s It only left doubts and unfulfilled hopes.   
_let it shatter the walls   
For a new sun   
A new day has... come_

How he wanted to gather her to him now! He wanted to bury his nose in her hair, to feel her arms around him, it was almost a physical ache, that pulled at him as if trying to draw him to her.

_...I see a light in your eyes   
All in the eyes of a boy   
A new day   
I can't believe I've been touched by an angel   
With love..._

He laid back on the hammock, it was all a bit much... His head was swimming with sweat intoxication and frightening distress.   
_  
...I can't believe I've been touched by an angel   
With love..._

'I wish she could see that _she's _MY angel, because I most certainly don't feel like one..' A broken sigh made it past his lips as he turned away from the house to lay on his left side.  
He heard her feet patter over the top of the house softly.

"Folken?"  
"Yes." He murmured, trying to act as if he'd been half asleep.  
"Are you okay?" She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. She gazed down at him, holding her upper arms as if trying to hold herself together.   
He could feel her gaze on him, and the concern in her voice, and had to admit to himself that he knew her more intimately than he'd ever known anyone else before Even more he knew she could see through him, and even feel the desperation that was clawing at him.  
"I will be just fine Willow." He Murmured and rolled over to look up at her  
"I want to talk to you" Her voice was barely audible but the breeze carried it down to him. "Could you come up here? "She murmured, looking tentatively to her left and the right.  
He knew what she was implying that he fly up to her and he simply nodded and let his large wings spread from his back. He landed swiftly on the roof and gathered her into his arms before taking a few quick strides to the opposite edge and plunging down into the willow tree. As the fronds began to settle from their ambush his knees felt like they would give out in a matter of minutes so he quickly set her on her feet. He took a ragged breath and turn a quarter turn, offering her his left profile. 

"Willow, what could you want of this unworthy one?" He braced his forehead in his right hand, slightly marveled at the slightly soft touch the cool metal offered, though the outlandish claws remained. She simply watched him, he could feel her eyes on him, the way they trembled and he could see the expression on her face, as though he were gazing into her eyes. "Willow..." He turned and saw Willow sitting with her knees hugged to her chest, this both frightened and surprised him. He took a swift step and knelt before her.  
"Willow, don't shut me out." He whispered and carefully took her arms from around her knees. He forced her to let her body relax, moving behind her he softly massaged her shoulders and back.  
"Now, tell me what is bothering you so much. I told you to tell me everything, please don't deny me." He tilted her chin back as he pulled her into his lap and gazed into her eyes for a moment.  
"Folken, just listen for a minute, okay?" She gently pulled his arms tighter around her and he sucked in a breath as he fought his body to keep from reacting. "What I need most right now is for you to hold me. I need to be held and shown that I'm loved, to feel your arms around me, that's what I need okay? So, just hold me." Folken was both shocked and aroused with her straightforwardness, it gave him a strange feeling of possessiveness. And it assured him that her barriers were being taken down, slowly but surely he was breaking through.   
"Oh beloved, I can hold you as long and as much as you'll let me." He brought his left hand to her face, he stroked her cheek with his palm and caught her chin with his fingers and tipped her head so she looked at him. "Have I made it perfectly clear that I love you yet?"

The look that shimmered in her eyes told him he had but her silence forced him onward. "No? What about this?" He softly brought his lips to hers and gave her a slow, soft kiss and she melted in his arms.  
"You see Willow, it is the one thing that comes naturally to me when I hold you or even hear your voice, to love you." She looked into his eyes, and knew she could not live without him.  
"Oh, Folken, I didn't mean it that way." She whispered, laying her head on his shoulder.  
"Than what did you mean?"  
"I meant I need your touch, it makes me feel... alive, and I know that I can live each moment. Even to have you hold my hand makes me tremble inside."  
Folken tightened his embrace. "And when I hold you like this?" Somehow he needed to hear her voice, needed to her her words  
"I feel like I'm on fire and freezing all at the same time."  
"Come on Willow, you can be more expressive than that, I've read your books, I know what you can do with words." Folken stood with her in his arms and then sat her feet on the platform. He pulled her tightly into his embrace, softly running his hands over the curves of her body. "Now what do you _ feel_?" He whispered.  
"Loved." That one word was enough to send his senses spinning. "Although I still don't see why."  
"Willow, you complete me, I can't live with out you, what else could I do but love you?"  
"I don't know."

They fell silent for a while and Folken gathered her warmly into him, gently comforting her.  
"Folken, what exactly did you see?" She whispered, her fingers tracing the ridges of both of his hands  
"I saw you, sitting in a waiting room and he was there. I heard him telling you the only thing you could do was have an abortion. I saw you crying and heard you whisper that you didn't't want to. I wanted to kill him, tear him to shreds right there. I wanted to enfold you in my arms, but my hand just passed right through you. Willow, I saw you put your hand to your womb and mourn. Then the nurse came and you went into the surgery without anesthesia. I followed into the room and saw you gripping the armrests with all your strength. I watched as your child fell from your womb, when the doctor left I sat at your feet and mourned. I nearly died from grief as I realized what this could mean." Folken tipped her face up to look into his. "And I loved you even more than I had before." Willow tried to turn away but he didn't let her. He could feel her trembling, knew that she was fighting with herself.  
"Willow, it wasn't your fault! You were raped and forced to give up your own flesh and blood. But don't you understand? I want to give you a new chance, a new family, a new life. Please Willow, don't cry any more!" He let go of her chin and buried his face in the hair that fell over her shoulder.  
Willow pulled out of his grasp and turned, nuzzling into the crook of his neck.  
"Folken, I don't deserve anything you give me."  
"Yes you do, everything and more."  
She shook her head.  
"Willow, if there is one of us who doesn't deserve the other it is me..." He ground out between his teeth. "I'm no angel Willow."  
Her eyes widened with realization that he'd heard her and then she blushed brightly. He smiled lightly at this, seeing the redness in her cheeks out of the corner of his eyes.  
"But you're my angel..." She tenderly placed a kiss to the sensitive spot where his neck met his shoulders.   
"And you're mine" be purred.   
Willow felt lightly intoxicated with his embrace, she was wrapped in his scent, his touch, all of her senses were filled with him. But she remembered what she really wanted to talk to him about and a bit of joy stirred deeply in her heart, bubbling up until she could hardly contain herself, though it was sifted through a tough grid of doubt. "The guardian spoke to me, Folken" she whispered happily.

Folken blinked rapidly and gently pulled her away from he chest  


"The Guardian told me that in two years you can go back, only there it will be two days after you left" Willow could feel his heart swelling, knew he was ready to burst from joy and felt his heartbreak as he came crashing back to reality.  
"I will _not _go," he tightened his arms around her. "I will not... I cannot leave you."   
She felt like she was on air, the strong tone of his voice made her want to cry and kiss him all at the same time.   
"I wasn't finished." Folken felt his pulse begin to race again.  
"You didn't let me finish," she laughed and touched the pad of her finger to the tip of his nose. "I convinced her that because we had identical pendants we should _both _be able to leave in two years." Folken's chest swelled with pride and contentment and a hearty laugh broke through his barriers.   
"You argued with her didn't you?" she found his laugh contagious and couldn't help but giggle with him.   
"Ye.ee.sss." She took a deep breath. "There's a catch though, I won't arrive until two years later." He stopped abruptly, a knot forming in his chest.  
'Two years without you, my beloved... I'm not sure I can... No I will.' He let a breath hiss out between his teeth. "Willow, you are more than worth the wait. I couldn't live without you."   
"Folken," She brought her hand to his cheek, gently holding his jaw. "I want to come to Fanelia, I want to stay with you forever, I want to grow old by your side, and see our children grow up in a kingdom where they'll learn their royal heritage."  
Folken looked even deeper into her eyes. "Then say you will marry me Willow, two years from now come to Gaea and finally live a happily ever after instead of just dreaming and writing them." He gently pulled something from his pocket and forced it into her hand, with his still covering hers.  
Willow couldn't hold back her tears of joy.  
"Of course I'll marry you Folken, I only wish we didn't have to wait, I want to go now." She looked at her hand and he pulled his hand way to reveal a beautiful silver bracelet, a elegant dragon whose wings and tail would wrap delicately around her wrist. She gasped and he slid the opening over her wrist and gently bent the soft metal to the form of her wrist.  
"Shh, time will pass soon enough." He murmured into her ear, gently kissing the tip.  
Folken lifted her into his arms and then onto the roof, he climbed up after her to find she was already at the door to the house  
"If you want something for dinner you have to catch me first!" With that she ran down the stairs and disappeared and he raced after her.  
"Why catch you for _dinner _when I can just have _you_?" He laughed as he chased after her and he marveled at the thought. 'Laughing, I have not laughed like this since I was fifteen… Oh, how I miss Van...'

  
***   


Later that evening Willow lay awake in bed, Folken was sleeping soundly beside her, his arm draped lightly around her waist, pulling her back against his chest. She stared at the wall, wishing she could sleep and forget everything that was bothering her. Her body was ready to give up but her mind was racing. 

'Am I fit to be Princess? Most certainly not. Should I even marry Folken? Well, of course. Do I deserve him? No, that's for sure. Do I really want to leave? Can I really leave everything and go to Gaea? I don't know, it sure sounds nice. Do I really have a choice? No, my heart has already chosen to go.' Willow got up and pulled the blanket up around Folken's shoulders. 

She marveled at his self control. 'He still hasn't touched me overtly sexually, he only holds me like I need to be held. I wonder how hard it is for him to keep from that.' She walked to the window and pulled her chair next to it, gazing at the night sky while the cool spring breeze wafted over her through the open window. 'Then again, he's probably disgusted with the concept of sex with me, after what he saw. I wonder whether it's disgust with me or the thought of doing something wrong to make me think of… that. Though I wouldn't blame him for either..'  
She tapped a finger lightly against his wrist. 'I don't know _why _ he'd ever want to marry someone like me,' she sighed. "Its strange, he's the first person I've been able to think of in such a way without sensing even a _ hint_ of fear or a flashback like a month ago, come to think of it I don't think it was even Folken who triggered it... Heck a part of me actually desires to... oh my...' a blush crept into her cheeks as an image of his defined body poised over hers, her hand exploring the bare flesh and toned muscles underneath her fingertips..... 

She sighed again, realizing she was never going to get any sleep at this rate, so instead she crawled out of his embrace and left note folded on her pillow saying that she was outside. She pulled on a jacket and her slippers. Quietly she went out on the front porch and breathed in deeply, the smell of her evening flowers wafting over her. She remembered planting the bulbs so long ago so that she could enjoy these night blooming flowers. A moth landed on one of the white petals to drink the nectar and left covered in pollen to land on yet another flower.

'Thank you little moth, I'll have plenty of new bulbs at the end of the season if you keep it up.' 

She walked out on to the sidewalk and headed down the street, wandering aimlessly, knowing she could find her way back if she needed to and that no one in this neighborhood would be threatening to her, they were all too nice. So many of them like Zara and Michael, with a peace and joy that she envied. 

After coming to the end of the street she walked back towards her house and finally felt that she could sleep. She came up the steps to the house and then sat on the front porch swing, swaying in the breeze. She watched as the moths visited her flowers, beautiful white moths that looked like little fairies flitting about on the petals. Willow began to fall asleep but didn't bother to get up.

Folken had woken when she had gotten up, he had watched as she contemplated at the window and acted like he was sleeping when she left a note on her pillow. The moonlight had been enough that he could read it clearly and he waited for her to come back. He had seen her sitting on the swing and watching the moths but he let her be by herself. When she began to drift to sleep he gently moved outside, his bare feet padding lightly over the cool floorboards of the porch. she had stirred when he opened the front door and he could feel her heart flutter when she realized it was him. 'gods does everyone experience this when they're in love?' Somehow he knew that the pendants had something to do with how they experienced each others emotions but wasn't sure why or how.   
"Willow" he whispered huskily. She lazily motioned for him to sit next to her on the swing. He did and then pulled her into his arms. She laid her head on his chest and listened to the gentle beat of his heart and the melody of night sounds.

Folken kissed the top of her head and drew in a deep breath. "Willow, you said you wished we didn't have to wait... what if... would you consider marrying me twice?" Her breath caught in her throat and for moment he was frightened that she would run from him.   
"What do you mean?" She asked tentatively.  
"I mean, here, in a few month or even a year, when ever you feel ready, we'll be married before we leave and then when we return to Fanelia we'll be married there just to appease the law and the Fanelian court. Oh please say yes Willow," he practically begged, "I fear my own weakness. I don't think I can live with you for two years without begin able to touch you. Yet, I cannot live without you" He gently brushed her cheek with his thumb, finding a stray tear there. He brought his hand away and looked at the small drop. "What's this for?" he asked gently.   
"I'm amazed, Folken, I could swear you read my mind," she leaned heavily into his embrace and he gently kissed her.

"But, Folken, I've heard that..." she blushed, "a princess or queen must be... unchastened for the royal marriage bed, but that's just what I've heard..."   
Folken let a small growl resonate from deep in his throat.  
"You're right, by Fanelian law a princess or queen must be unchastened for the marriage bed." He ground the words between his teeth, desperate to change things. "By law if she isn't she becomes a disgrace and could even be banished and the marriage annulled." He was practically choking on his words and could feel Willow choking back her tears.

"But, Folken, I'm not unchasten," she whispered. Folken had long since realized his blunder and recoiled at his own lack of judgment.  
"Oh, Willow, I don't care, if the court thinks you are unfit to be princess then they're _very _wrong. I can't think of anyone else who'd do better in that place. Don't worry no one needs to find out about your past, besides that is behind you and wasn't your fault." Folken tipped her chin up so she wasn't looking at the floor any more.  
'I can't go, I don't deserve to marry him, I can't be a princess…' "Folken, maybe this isn't right, you can find someone else, go back to Fanelia and find someone to be your princess."  
"You mean some one better than you?" He could sense her self worth steadily dropping, gods didn't she realize how precious she was to him?  
"…Yes."  
"Never."  
Willow looked into his face and saw concern, he was pleading her and questioning her with a simple glance  
"Willow, I cannot live with any one else! I would rather stay here, or even be banished from Fanelia again than lose you!"  
"Yes, you could, I know you Folken, you could move on, you could do it, and be content."  
"But I wouldn't be happy, I wouldn't be in _love_."  
"No Folken, I don't deserve your love, don't you understand? Everyone I've loved has left, and I know it'll happen again, it always does." Willow looked away, unable to look into his face, let alone those cherry brandy eyes.  
"Look at me Willow," Folken coaxed. She kept her gaze averted and tried to get her chin out of his grasp. He put a hand on either side of her face and knelt in front of her, his face only inches way from hers.  
"Look in my eyes Willow, I'll break you of this if it takes all my life, I want you to feel comfortable looking in my eyes."  
Willow struggled to take a ragged breath and looked up into his face, forcing herself to look in his eyes, when their gazes finally met, Folken smiled brightly.  
'That dopey smile,' Willow couldn't help but smile back, 'I love that smile.'  
"Folken, I…"  
He cut off her words with his lips in a soft, warm kiss. It was short and Willow leaned towards him, putting her hands on his shoulders. Folken drew back slightly.  
"You said everyone you've loved has left you, Willow, I assure you I cannot do that, I never will I promise."  
"You won't intend to, but you will," she murmured.  
"Never."  
"But…"  
"But nothing, I want to marry you, hell I want to marry you _twice_ ! I want to live with you for the rest of my life, and I wont touch you until we are married."  
Willow looked down.  
"Please look into my eyes Willow." He both pleaded and demanded.  
She looked at his forehead.  
"You're still avoiding me, I've seen the way your eyes shimmer when you look into mine, I can tell." Folken scolded lightly and put his arms around her waist.  
When she looked into his eyes he pulled closer to him. Her gaze stayed with his, for fear of further chastisement.  
"Willow, you are really going to make these next months hard for me." Folken whispered into her golden locks, breathing in the scent of her, she smelled like a sweet strawberry, the kind that He remembered gathering with Van in Fanelia… and something he couldn't decipher, but he loved it, it was distinctly her.

Willow held him, clung to him for dear life, as if the second that he was out of her grasp he would be gone forever.  
She memorized the feel of his arms around her, and of his toned muscles under her fingertips. She didn't want to ever let go, she just wanted him to hold her for eternity and tell her that he loved her, he really loved her.  
Folken felt her relax in his arms and drew back to press his forehead lightly to hers.  
"Willow, don't ever think that you don't deserve my love, you deserve every ounce I can give you and so much more than that."  
"Less words, Folken, there's more meaning to me in your touch." Willow tipped her face and tentatively met his lip with hers. Folken kissed her slowly and passionately driving her senses wild with his gentle touch, his arms gently encircling her and drawing her even closer.  
When he drew away, Willow could scarcely breath. She leaned her head on his shoulder and he drew her into his lap, gazing into the night. When she softly began to drift to sleep he deftly carried her to her room.

He let her jacket slip from her shoulders and unlaced her ballet slippers before laying her one her bed and pulling the sheet up over her Gazing at her sleeping for he wished he could just take her right then, and felt his body reacting to the thought 'Cold showers from now to our wedding day' He knew he didn't't want to hurt her, it would seem to much like what had happened to her before and the thought of their relationship reminding her of that bastard was enough to cool his ardor and make his stomach turn.   
He quietly made his way to the guest room and promptly fell asleep without bothering to pull the sheets over himself.  
'This will be better... I wonder if she thinks I could take advantage of her, even a small amount of doubt in the back of her mind, is too much. Even though she knows I could never hurt her.' before he knew it he was asleep and dreaming, his arms wrapped around the extra pillow. 

When Willow woke up the next morning she felt strangely alone, the space that Folken had occupied nearly every morning for the past three weeks was empty, and long cold, as if he'd never gone back to bed. She got up and looked for Folken, she found him sleeping in the guest room. As she stood in the doorway she was dumb founded. His simple gesture showed he wanted their relationship to last and she was blown away.

"Why me?" She whispered, as she watched his chest rise and fall with his steady breathing. 'He loves me... He shouldn't, I don't deserve it.'  
Quietly she closed the door and let him sleep.

  
A/N: YAY! ANOTHER CHAPPIE! FINALLY! Man, you'd think that summer break would mean rest..... yeah right!  
Thanks: To everyone who reviewed the last chapter, you guys rock! And for everyone who's been waiting for this since May!  
Feedback: Any sort of constructive criticism is help mainly on my weaknesses. Organization, dialogue, Characterization, Stream of Consciousness, etc. Encouragement is nice as well, but really I'm also seeking to grow as a writer. Any literary techniques I can learn are great.  
  
  
  
  
  



	11. Normal life, or some semblance of it

**Weeping Willow  
Revised version**  
  
**Chapter 11: Normal life (or some sort of semblance of it)**  
"What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us."  
~Unknown  
  
Spring slowly turned into summer and a few months later things had changed tremendously.   
Willow had been offered a new job at the begining of the summer and was now working for a magazine. with a studio that she shared with her assistant and another photographer she was out of the house more often. She now had several new cameras with all sorts of new tech to work with. Her film supply was cut back but, who cares about film when you've got a digital camera and the company pays for the rest of it? Suffice to say she loved the new job.   
  
In the mean time Folken learned to drive her car and managed to find the local university and the huge library on the campus. After classes were finished he snagged an application and signed up for some History courses next fall. To his advantage the main focus of the university was on science to he immediately jumped at the opportunity to take the most advanced chemistry course they offered as well.   
Sometimes when Willow had to go into work he'd drop her off and drive around the city, taking in all the sites and browsing downtown, with all the older shops and some extremely ancient bookstores. Other days she'd drop him off at the university campus, or he'd ride the bike he'd managed to buy with the money he earned from doing odd jobs around the neighborhood. He wasn't lacking for business, that was for sure, in this old neighborhood many of the houses were just getting to that point where the elderly people living in them either couldn't maintain them on their own or had moved out, with new younger owners moving in; just about everyone had need for a handyman and the news traveled like a wildfire.   
  
They had set a date for the wedding, it was to be on the first day of October, only two months away . Things were begining to get hectic, Willow's extended family and freinds from college were invited, and practically the entire neighborhood. The wedding itself would be held in the Church at the end of the road that they had recently taken to attending every couple of sundays and the entire congregation promised to be there. The reception was to be in her back yard, the fence was taken down. Folken had managed to get far side down and then taken to mowing the unruly field of grass on the other side. Willow teased him that it might be easier if he just took a sicle to it... This was turning into quite the wedding. Willow's dress had been designed by the costume designer that she had become friends with at work and was currently being peiced together. The decorations and flowers were being handled by the local florist who attended the church, and the brides boquet had been a wedding present. The cake was going to be gorgeous, the design had been chosen but they still couldn't agree on a flavor.   
Sara had been more than a huge help, she'd been the one who organized the majority of the details. Invitations had been sent out, bride's maids, groom's men and everyone else had been chosen. All in all thing were going as smoothly as anyone could have hoped, prehaps too smoothly. But all in all life was begining to look up, Willow had stopped blaming herself for the past, Folken was reveling in the present and both were planning for the future, a balance that was begining to pan out.  
  
* * *  
  
Willow snapped the last shot for the day and tossed the used camera to her assistant. "Good job everyone, see you next week." She smiled and stepped into the elevator, leaving as her crew gathered the props and the models headed to their dressing rooms.   
Working for the equivalent of Vogue magazine wasn't nearly as tedious as she had thought it would be. In fact it was rather thrilling to think that she had a crew, an assistant and even an office if she needed it. Virtually, all her material needs were met. And if it weren't for the fact that she would be leaving it all in less than two years Willow would have already moved on to even grander things. She stepped onto the elevator and leaned agains the back wall, gazing at the ring on her finger, remembering when Folken had given it to her. She smiled, remembering the engraving he'd had put on the inside of the band, "Princess of Fanelia" Those three word were enough to bring tears to her eyes.  
She sighed, "Who would have known?" There was a short pinging sound and the elevator came to a stop. She stepped of and walked through the lobby of the large building and into the bright light of mid day and to her car.  
  
* * *  
  
While browsing the library that day, as Folken had done many days before, he was nearly run over by a college age girl. If he had to guess he'd say she was about twenty and looked frighteningly reminiscent of Celena. He shuddered at the thought and pushed it from his mind.  
"Oh! I'm so sorry! You see I was just late for my meeting and I have to get these books put away before I can leave and…" She looked up at him and he could see fear in her large slate-blue eyes. "I'm sorry." She started picking up her books.  
"Don't worry about it." Folken bent and helped her gather the books, he took the ones from her arms and nodded. "You go on, I'll take care of these." He shifted the weight in his arms.   
"Really? Oh, thank you!" She turned to leave but then turned back quickly. "Hey, wait a minute. Haven't I seen you here before...?"  
"Well, I've been in here quiet often lately if that's what you mean…"  
"Of course! That's it. Hey, if you're every looking for job we're short handed around here lately."  
"Thanks for the offer, now, get going you'll be late." He shook his head and smiled as she ran off to her meeting.  
"Wait!" She poked her head around the corner of the shelf.  
"The name's Celest!"  
"Folken, nice..." she was gone. "... to meet you... How strange…" he said to himself as he set to putting the books back where they belonged.  
  
* * *  
  
Willow pulled into a parking space at the library. She'd left Folken there that morning and they'd agreed to go out for a late lunch after her photo shoot.   
She walked up the steps and to the sitting area where, sure enough she found Folken sitting with a new pile of books. He was so engrossed in his reading that he didn't even notice as she crept up behind him.. She giggled lightly and wrapped her arms around his neck, practically tackling him.  
Startled, Folken jumped and whirled around to find Willow with her arms around him. He laughed lightly and kissed her cheek.  
"Ready to go?" She asked as he picked up a few of the books from his unfinished stack.  
"Just let me check these out." He smiled and she followed after him. Soon his books were stamped and they were on their way.   
  
* * *  
  
Willow and Folken shared lunch as they'd learned to love to do when she had morning photos shoots, which was usually about once a week. He'd tell her about all the books he was reading and she would listen, just enjoying the sound of his voice.   
"I signed up for some classes at the university today," He said between mouthfuls.   
"Really? Which ones?"  
"Well, American History, American Government, World History, and Advanced chemistry."  
"Sounds like you'll be busy." She grinned, knowing that he'd take on the new courses with enjoyment.  
"Mh Hm." He smiled and laughed lightly before taking another bite of his lunch.  
"Sounds like we'll have to find you some wheels." Willow grinned, wondering what kind of car he'd want.  
"Now you are being presumptous, I was just going to ride my bike now you want to buy me a car too?" Folken shook his head, not that the thought hadn't crossed his mind, but he was content to ride the rather nicehe had and just save their money for other things, like their wedding for example...He would ride his bike just like he did whenever he got the chance. In fact they'd had some rather nice afternoons riding to the university campus, library and back…  
"I just thought you might like it." Willow half smiled and turned back to her lunch.  
"I would Willow, but to tell the truth I don't need a car. I can drive yours if I need to, but I don't need a car. Besides, woldn't you rather spend the money on the wedding?" Folken felt bad, he'd rejected her gift, but if she thought about it she'd agree.  
"You're right. Now, don't you think the cake should be tiramisu?" Willow smiled, changing the subject.  
Folken raised and eyebrow and her and smirked "Vanilla, I found something very interesting today," he took her hands from across the table and grinned. "But you'll have to wait until later to find out what it is."   
Willow smirked and ran her thumb over the palm of his right hand, causing the cool metal joints to bend under her touch. She chuckled lightly and took her hand back, before he could react and grabbed the check. Practically skipping to the cash register to pay for their food.  
"Hey! You said I could pick up the tab this time!" Folken growled, it wasn't fair, he wanted to support her, not the other way around.  
  
Folken drove them home, keeping to himself about what he had in his pocket. Willow was being driven absolutely insane by the fact that Folken wouldn't even hint at what he was thinking.   
She sifted through the stack of books as he drove "Come on Folken just tell me!"  
"Its not in the books, Willow." He girnned as he pulled into her driveway and chuckled as she practically dragged him into the house and sat his books down on the counter.   
"Folken, tell me already!" She begged.  
"Hmm, I have a better idea." Folken gathered her into his arms and started up the stairs to the roof. "I'll show you."   
Willow laughed and Folken stepped out onto the roof. Seconds later they were falling down through the fronds of the willowtree and landing on the platform.   
"So what is it?" she asked in a laugh.   
"Isn't it a nice day out Willow? How did the photo shoot go?"  
"No way, you aren't going to pull that off! What's going on? What'd you find? Is it something for the wedding?"  
"Do you really want to know? You don't seem enthusiatic enough, maybe I shouldn't show you," Folken smirked, 'My goodness things sure have changed.'   
"Aaw! Come on what more could you want?" Willow leaned on his shoulder and ran her fingers over his neck and collar bone. She could feel the shudder that ran through him and grinned, blowing lightly on his neck.  
"Fine, fine, I'll show you." Folken laughed and sat her on the edge of the platform, with her feet dangling down. He smiled softly and pulled something out of his pocket as he stood behind her. "Close your eyes," he whispered in her ear. She did and felt something cool on her neck and then felt the weight of it as Folken fastened it and let it hang from her delicate neck. He softly kissed her cheek and felt the warmth that rose there as a result.  
"Now, you can open you eyes." He murmured as he lifted her into his lap.  
Willow looked down to see a silver necklace with a black dragon charm on it, that laid just over the rise of her chest.   
"Oh my gosh, Folken! Where on earth did you get this?" She gasped and held the charm in her palm.   
"Well, you see, that's just it, its not from earth."  
"You mean… but how?"  
"Yes, it's from Gaea, and the guardian has been rather kind to me in granting me few small favors, this just happens to be one of them." He grinned broadly, holding the gem up so light spilled through it."You see this particular necklace is the tradition Fanelian betrothal gift... and to make you valid as mine from the momment you set foot on Gaean soil." there was a hint of male possesiveness in his voice that made chill run up and down her spine.   
"Wow, Folken this has to be the best gift ever!" Willow placed a soft kiss on his cheek and hugged him. "Thank you."   
Folken felt a soft wetness on his neck and frowned, pulling her away so he could look into her face. Surely enough, there were a tears there and he frowned even more deeply.  
"What's this for?" He asked and gently brushed the tears away with the pads of his thumbs.  
"Nothing, I'm just more happy than I ever thought I could be." Willow smiled and tried to brush his troubled look aside, but it didn't work, he just continued to frown.  
"And I'll make sure it only gets better from here." She snuggled deeply into his chest, feeling safe and protected in his embrace. She sighed and smiled; seeing the innocent way she curled up in his arms made Folken's heart melt and a smiled played along his lips as he rested his cheek on the top of her head.   
  
* * *  
  
September brought with it more heat and humidity, though in a slightly milder form that encouraged the fact that fall was on its way and by the end of the month the leaves would be starting to turn colors. The day grew ever closer, Folken had transformed the guest bedroom into a study, office and bedroom with a palmpilot cellphone that Willow had given him to help organize his handy man business that was greatly adding to their cashflow. She'd managed to pay off almost all of her college loans while Folken began taking care of the bills as he insisted he be able to. In truth she found it cute that he wanted to provide for her.   
The twins, Rose and Timothy were often over. The girls would play in the sprinklers, or help Willow with her much neglected garden while Folken and Tim discussed anything from the weather to literature and physics. Rose and Willow on the other hand were stichting together the details that were only left with a few weeks to complete.  
Folken and Tim had managed to set up a small pool, "But not a kiddie pool" as Chloes had insisted, in the back yard and while the girls swam were often working on the yard, preparing it for the many guests that promised to attend the reception. And today was no exception. Having finished everything they could do Willow and Rose had joined the girls in the pool and were both enjoying the site of their lovely topless significant others hard at work.   
Folken set his pruning sheers on his shoulder and sighed, eyeing the four girls in the pool as sweat dripped from his brow. Tim noticed his gaze and both men sauntered lazily into the house, as if nothing was on their minds.  
"What was that all about?" Rose laughed.  
"Their plotting something but I don't know..."  
The next thing they knew all four were being sprayed with the two hoses from the yard, in the hands of non other than the men. The girls fought back, splashing all the water they could, Shiloh even had a small pail that she filled with water and splashed all over her daddy while Chloe furiously paddled with her little hands. The twins thought it a riot and lots of screams and laughter lifted from the back yard that afternoon.  
  
Later, a much drier group of family and friends gathered on the back porch that Folken had screened in to keep the bugs at bay. The sun was going down and fireflies flitted about the yard while they munched on watermelon and hamburgers.   
Willow took a swallow of lemonaid and laid her head lightly on Folken's shoulder, her still lightly damp hair cascading over his arm. In the light of the bug candles the twins could be seen napping in their father's arms and Folken felt a twinge of envy and hope 'someday' he thought wistfully.  
And he knew, these would be the momments he would cherish most, the calm eveningsspent with the people he'd grown to love and call his family. Rose and Tim knew they were leaving, it had seemed only right to tell them, though they hadn't had the heart to tell the twins just yet. 'Better for them to enjoy the time ahead' he smiled lightly, draping his arm around Willow's shoulders.  
  
* * *  
  
The twins were all to quickly back in school but they still began to spend more and more weekends at Willow's house. Both were going to be her flower girls and Rose her Maid(or rather Matron) of Honor. Only a week before the wedding they came bounding into the house carrying bags of birdseed and mesh fabric to make little bundles for the guests to untie and throw.  
"Aunt Willow! Look what we made already this morning!" Chloe beamed as she walked in the door way, holding a basket full of slightly sloppy bundles the girls had made.  
"Thats wonderful hun." Willow hadn't stopped smiling for the past months and she had a feeling she wouldn't for quite some time.  
  
  



End file.
